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Tesla announces launch of supercharger access for legacy competitor — here's when you can plug in

More EVs having access to more charging stations may convince consumers to make their next car an EV.

More EVs having access to more charging stations may convince consumers to make their next car an EV.

Photo Credit: iStock

Tesla has announced that its Supercharger network will soon be available to yet another of its competitors. According to Teslarati, the Supercharger network will be available to Volkswagen electric vehicles in March, although VW owners might not get to start using them quite that soon.

Superchargers are already available to several other companies. Ford was the first, gaining access in early 2024, with GM following suit later in the year. Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, and Nissan also have access, and Mercedes-Benz is expected to before too long, per Teslarati.

The reason VW EV owners will have to wait a little longer is because they don't yet have North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters, which are necessary for non-Tesla EVs to use most of the company's charging stations. Tesla Superchargers use the company's proprietary NACS, while most other EVs use the Combined Charging System (CCS). 

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Mark Gillies, Volkswagen Group of America's Director of Public Relations, told PCMag, "We get access to the network in June/July, when we have an official adapter."

There's no word yet on when other Volkswagen-owned brands, such as Audi and Porsche, will have access to the Superchargers, but overall this is great news.

More EVs having access to more charging stations may convince consumers to make their next car an EV. Global EV sales are already trending in the right direction, continuing to gain a larger market share while sales of internal combustion engine cars continue to slow. 

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Passenger vehicles in the U.S. alone account for over 350 million metric tons of carbon pollution every year, which is one of the main drivers of the planet overheating, causing extreme weather that threatens lives and the global food supply.

EVs also benefit consumers' wallets. The vehicles save drivers money in the long run as they cost less to maintain and don't require expensive gas to run. 

One Teslarati reader commented, "GO TESLAAAAAAA."

While another posted, "I forgot VW was a holdout. Good on both!"

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