Tesla begins testing other EVs using Supercharger stations in Europe

This past summer, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made the bold announcement that the company would open its exclusive Supercharger network of EV plugs to non-Tesla EVs. And it's supposed to happen before the end of the year. Well, technically, Musk can say he delivered, because on Monday Telsa opened a pilot program for other EVs to use the Supercharger network.

Here's the catch: It's just 10 stations to start, and it's exclusive to the Netherlands for now. Hence "technically" -- Musk never specified where or how many Superchargers would open up to non-Tesla owners. But it's happening, and the fact that the plan is in motion will likely pave the way for a much wider rollout of access to Superchargers around the world. Tesla even said, in a rare announcement from the company itself, "Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and Non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide."

In the end, that's good news for anyone lacking EV charging infrastructure near them. What isn't clear is if EV owners will need to bring their own CCS adapter, or if Tesla plans to supply them. Tesla vehicles use a proprietary connector, unlike most other EVs that utilize the CCS standard.

Back in the Netherlands, other EV owners will be able to locate these 10 stations via the Tesla app. Tesla owners will see no changes to the charging procedure, and the automaker said it will be closely monitoring congestion and feedback from everyone. With said feedback, the company will expand the pilot further. 

For now, EV owners will just need to add payment to the Tesla app to start a session and then select "Stop Charging" to end and pay. When this pilot does expand, expect non-Tesla owners to pay a premium to access the Supercharger network.

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