Tesla officially opens up select Superchargers in the U.S. to all EVs
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Tesla has officially opened up select Superchargers in the U.S. to all compatible electric vehicles. This comes on the heels of news that Tesla has been retrofitting various Superchargers with its Magic Dock solution that allows Tesla to easily support the standard CCS connector in addition to Tesla's own NACS connector.
Europe
Tesla has previously opened up Superchargers in several countries around the world, although that was significantly easier for Tesla since Tesla uses the standard CCS connector in most countries outside the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S. Tesla needed to retrofit Superchargers with provide a solution that would support multiple connectors.
Magic Dock
Tesla needed to develop a solution to be able to continue to support their own NACS connector in addition to the CCS connector. The Magic Dock does that in an elegant and simple way. The Magic Dock houses a CCS adapter inside that locks onto the Tesla plug only when needed. Tesla owners will be able to continue charging at these stations without any changes.
Cost for Non-Teslas
Non-Tesla vehicles charging at Superchargers will pay a slight premium over their Tesla counterparts. An early look at Superchargers that Tesla has opened up reveals that Tesla is charging about $0.10 more per kWh to charge other EVs. This is about a 25% premium over Tesla's standard rate, although Supercharger prices vary by station and time of day.
Membership
Tesla is also offering a monthly membership option for non-Tesla owners who wish to reduce their price per kilowatt hour. For $12.99/month, non-Tesla owners can subscribe to lower their charging rate to be the same as Tesla vehicles.
There are currently no other benefits to the membership and non-Tesla owners are limited to the same Superchargers whether they have a membership or not.
The membership is only open to non-Teslas and will not lower the charging rates for Tesla owners, although that could be an interesting option if Tesla decides to consider it.
Idle fees
Tesla charges idle fees for vehicles that stay in a Supercharging spot after their vehicle has finished charging. The idle fees vary depending on how full the station is and they're waived if the station is at less than 50% capacity.
Tesla is charging the same idle fees for Teslas and non-Tesla vehicles.
Compatible EVs
If your EV uses CCS, or you have an adapter for your vehicle that can connect to a CCS1 connector then you'll likely be able to use Tesla's Superchargers. The only other physical requirement is that your vehicle's charge port has to reach Tesla's Supercharger cable without blocking access to others.
Congestion
While Tesla owners are right to be concerned about issues such as Supercharger congestion and dock blocking, Tesla is doing everything it can to minimize these issues.
Tesla has no plans to open up all of its Superchargers. Tesla told the U.S. government that it was going to open up 7,500 Supercharger stations to all compatible electric vehicles. This number includes current and future Superchargers.
The most popular Tesla Superchargers will likely remain exclusive to Tesla vehicles as Tesla doesn't want to make congestion worse at its most used locations.
In fact, without Tesla opening up Superchargers to other EVs, some Supercharger locations may not be possible. When Tesla decides to open a new charging location one of the things they're looking for is the number of vehicles that will take advantage of the Supercharger and how long it will take Tesla to recoup the cost of opening the location.
Dock Blocking
Dock blocking is going to be a new term that we're unfortunately going to hear and experience more often. The term refers to vehicles in Supercharger locations taking up more than one spot and blocking access to other vehicles. Tesla's Superchargers feature very short cables to reduce damage and risk. This works well for Teslas since their charging ports are all located in the same location.
However, not all EVs have a charge port that can easily reach the end of a Supercharger cable. Depending on the vehicle, this could lead to a vehicle taking up two spots, or going over the line to be able to reach the Supercharger's cable.
Stations Opened
Tesla appears to have opened up about eight stations across the U.S. yesterday. These stations are in various parts of New York and California but expect Tesla to open more stations soon.
In typical Tesla fashion, Tesla rolls out changes slowly as it gathers feedback. If Superchargers are working as expected Tesla will slowly open up more Superchargers as it retrofits old locations with its Magic Dock.
Although many Tesla owners may be worried about a worse experience at Superchargers, this is a big win for not only Tesla but for sustainable transportation. Tesla provides some of the faster and most reliable charging stations in the world and this change will help convince more vehicle buyers into choosing an EV.
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Cox Automotive, the world's largest automotive services and technology provider, has released a forecast predicting that Tesla will lead the luxury market in Q1 2023 with sales of 180,000 units, a gain of nearly 40% from Q1 2022. As a result, Tesla is expected to post solid sales gains and surpass a market share of 5% for the first time. This marks a significant achievement for the electric car maker as it continues to gain market share in the luxury car market.
Improved Inventory and Lowered Prices to Spark Demand
By far, Tesla will be the top luxury-vehicle seller in the U.S. in Q1, with sales more than double that of BMW or Mercedes. This impressive performance is likely due to Tesla's innovative technology, sleek designs, and rising brand recognition.
Tesla's success in Q1 2023 is expected to be primarily driven by improved inventory levels and lowered prices. According to Cox Automotive, new-vehicle inventory levels have significantly improved from Q1 2022, which has helped stimulate sales despite elevated prices and high auto loan rates. Tesla also lowered its prices in the first quarter to spark demand.
Tesla's Record Quarter
Tesla's Q1 2023 sales are expected to reach 180,000, a record quarter for the company in the U.S. In addition, the company's growth trajectory continues to outpace its competitors, with Tesla's market share forecasted to surpass 5% for the first time. This puts Tesla on track to achieve its goal of selling 1 million electric vehicles per year, an ambitious target the company has set for itself.
Strong Outlook for Tesla
Cox Automotive's forecast is good news for Tesla investors and enthusiasts. The electric car maker has been expanding its production capacity to meet the rising vehicle demand. Tesla's Model Y, launched in 2020, has been a hit with customers, with the company ramping up production to meet the high demand. Tesla also plans to launch the Cybertruck, its first all-electric pickup truck, in 2022.
As more consumers look to switch to electric vehicles to reduce their carbon footprint, Tesla's growth prospects are expected to remain strong. The company's continued innovation in the electric car space and aggressive expansion plans could help it solidify its position as a leader in the automotive industry.
Other Key Take Aways from Cox
The release suggests a positive surprise for U.S. auto sales in Q1 2023. Still, supply constraints and affordability issues are expected to put a ceiling on what's possible for the rest of the year. Despite these challenges, Tesla's continued growth trajectory and strong performance in the luxury market are promising signs for the electric car maker.
General Motors is expected to finish Q1 as the top seller of new vehicles in the U.S., with sales volume forecasted to increase by over 15% year over year to reach 587,000 units. However, sales will drop from Q4 2022 when GM's volume hits 618,692.
The Bottleneck Has Passed, but Prices Are Too High
New-vehicle inventory levels have significantly improved from Q1 2022, up roughly 70% from the volume recorded in the early months of 2022. This has helped stimulate sales despite elevated prices and high auto loan rates.
Fleet sales for the entire year of 2023 are forecasted at 2.2 million, up 23% from 2022, when 1.8 million units were sold to commercial buyers.
Cox Automotive has adjusted its full-year new-vehicle sales forecast to 14.2 million, an increase of nearly 3% from 2022.
Elevated prices and average auto loan rates above 8% are expected to hold back new-vehicle sales for the rest of the year. The typical new-vehicle loan payment was more than $750 a month in Q1, which is out of reach for many households.
Tesla's sales forecasted to surpass 5% market share in Q1 2023 is a significant milestone for the electric car maker. Tesla's success in the luxury market is due to its innovative technology, sleek designs, and raising brand recognition. In addition, the company's improved inventory levels and lowered prices have helped stimulate sales despite elevated prices and high auto loan rates. With a record quarter forecasted for Q1 2023, Tesla's outlook remains strong, and the company continues to lead the charge in the electric car market.
Tesla is updating its app to show the vehicle's planned path to its destination
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Tesla is consistently working to improve its mobile app experience for users, and now they're adding another new feature. Building on the features unveiled last year, Tesla is now adding the ability to view the route the vehicle is taking toward its destination. Thanks to Max for the tip!
Navigation Path
When using GPS navigation, the app directly displays the driver's destination, distance, and estimated arrival time (ETA) on the main screen. By tapping into the navigation section, users can access a map that shows the vehicle's location, nearby Superchargers, and destination details. The app also displays the vehicle's expected state of charge upon arrival at the destination, providing greater transparency for owners regarding battery consumption. The one missing piece was the suggested route the vehicle is taking to reach its destination. That is now being added to the app and is available for select users.
In the last Tesla app update, v4.19, the company introduced a new API called "nav route." This API looked to go unused at first, but this new feature appears to leverage this API to display the path the vehicle will take, much like the in-car navigation system.
Building on Latest Update
The October 2022 update brought a host of additional features to the Tesla mobile app, enhancing convenience for its users. For instance, the app now shows more information about the media playing in the vehicle, such as song title, artist, and destination details.
Energy Enhancement
The automaker rolled out major revisions to its Energy app in its cars, which displays the battery's state of charge upon departure and arrival, as well as the main causes of battery drain. Tesla started bringing this functionality to the app for older Model S and Model X vehicles, and will hopefully soon expand it to other vehicles.
The app will provide a detailed breakdown of energy usage for various features, such as air conditioning, driving, battery conditioning, elevation, and other components like charging mobile devices, onboard computers, lights, and the audio system.
As Tesla continues to hire additional app developers, users can anticipate further updates and improvements to the mobile app, offering more helpful features and enhancing the overall user experience.
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