Driven Car Reviews Oct 9, 2025

The Tesla Supercharger Network is Opening to All EVs. Here's How it Works.

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Term

regenerative braking

Regenerative braking is a system in electric cars that helps recharge the battery when you slow down. Instead of wasting energy, it saves some of it to use later, which can help the car go further on a single charge.

Term

Supercharger network

The Supercharger network is a series of fast charging stations for Tesla cars. They allow drivers to quickly recharge their cars when traveling long distances, making it easier to take road trips.

Car

Volvo EX30

The Volvo EX30 is a small electric SUV made by Volvo. It's designed to be eco-friendly and has many modern features for drivers.

Car

Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S is a high-end electric car that runs on batteries instead of gasoline, making it more environmentally friendly. It's known for being fast and having a lot of cool technology, like a big touchscreen inside and the ability to drive itself in some situations. People talk about it a lot because it shows how electric cars can be just as good, if not better, than regular cars.

Term

CCS ports

CCS ports are special connectors used to charge electric cars quickly and efficiently.

Term

NAX

NAX is a type of plug that Tesla cars use to charge their batteries in North America.

Company

Electron

Electron is a company that makes chargers and adapters for electric cars. They are known for making good quality products.

Term

CCS adapter

A CCS adapter is a tool that helps electric cars charge at different types of charging stations, making it easier to find a place to charge.

Term

J1772

J1772 is a type of plug used for charging electric cars. Many charging stations use this plug so different cars can charge there.

Term

Level 2 charging

Level 2 charging is a way to charge electric cars faster than regular home chargers. You can find these chargers at places like grocery stores.

Term

plug-in charge

Plug-in charge is how electric cars get their power from charging stations. You usually need an app to pay and start charging your car.

Concept

electric vehicles (EVs)

Electric vehicles, or EVs, are cars that run on electricity instead of gas. They're better for the environment and are becoming more common as technology improves.

Term

kilowatt

Kilowatt is a way to measure how much power something uses or produces. For electric cars, it tells you how fast the car can charge its battery.

Company

Electrify America

Electrify America is a company that builds charging stations for electric cars in the U.S. They help make it easier for people to charge their electric vehicles while traveling.

Car

Volvo

Volvo is a car brand from Sweden that is known for making safe and eco-friendly vehicles. They have different types of cars, including electric ones.

Term

Superchargers

Superchargers are special fast chargers made for Tesla cars. They let you charge your car much faster than regular chargers, which is really helpful for long trips.

Term

charging infrastructure

Charging infrastructure is all the places and equipment that help electric cars recharge their batteries. It’s important for making sure you can drive an electric car without running out of power.

Term

commercial charging

Commercial charging is when you use public charging stations to refill your electric car's battery, usually for a fee.

Term

80 percent charge

Getting to an 80 percent charge means your electric car's battery is mostly full. It's a good practice to unplug at this point to keep the battery healthy.

Car

Porsche Taycan

The Porsche Taycan is a fast electric car that is both luxurious and high-tech. It's designed for performance and has many modern features.

LIVE

Electric vehicles can work really well for people. In some cases, they can be more convenient

than gas-powered cars, no trips to the gas station, no oil changes, brakes last longer

because of regenerative braking, and generally fuel costs are a lot less. But people are

worried about range, even though modern electric cars go a long way on a charge. Good news,

Tesla is opening up the Supercharger network to more and more manufacturers, including Volvo.

I have this EX30 for the week, and I decided to give the Supercharger network a try.

Tesla's rollout to other automakers has been slow. When I drove my car from Ontario, California

to Seattle recently, the only Superchargers I could use were the ones equipped with

a magic dock connector. Those are few and far between.

I located this station by using the Tesla app that shows how many plugs are available. I could

charge this Volvo at home. I want to try out the Tesla system for the first time to

understand how hard or easy it is to use on cars other than Model S, X3, or Y. EX30

In the past, Supercharger cords were frustratingly short for EVs with a receptacle near the driver's

side door. Ergonomics experts believe that's the best location for a number of different

recent spots, but that's an argument for a different video. V4 units have longer cords,

these stickers help, and there's no problem with the cable length. Non-Tesla vehicles

use CCS ports, Tesla uses the North American charging standard, or NAX. It's VHS Betamax

all over again. To use non-Tesla cars at Superchargers, adapters are needed.

Most if not all automakers have announced that they're going to be going to the

NAX plug. In the meantime, there are adapters. Volvo includes one with the EX30. I'm

testing out Electron model. I couldn't do it when I drove my Porsche up from California

because Tesla doesn't play well with Porsche right now. This is the Vortex Supercharger

to CCS adapter. Electron is a reputable manufacturer. Do not buy off-brand equipment,

okay? Don't risk your expensive investment. The Vortex adapter is designed for Superchargers

only. It's very well built. It's hefty. A second adapter, the Tesla to J1772 unit is

needed to use Tesla's level two destination chargers. These are typically found at grocery

stores, hotels, or this furniture store that I was shopping at, and they've been open

to most vehicles. They just require an adapter. Being level two, they don't charge as

fast as Superchargers, which have various charge speeds. Notice Superchargers don't

have screens. Plug a Tesla car in and it's recognized by the system and the owner is

built. It's called plug-in charge. Non-Tesla vehicles require the Tesla app and

adding payment information. Apparently some cars are able to add plug-in charge to

the Tesla network. I've not experienced it. Once at the charger location, select a

terminal. That's at the base of the charger. Then plug in. Using the adapters is as

easy as you might imagine. Then hit charge. And it just works. Easy. This

was anticlimactic. Also, some Tesla terminals allow for a direct credit card

payment, but get the app. There are a lot of Supercharger locations over 2,500 with

some 30,000 plugs, which used to be a great advantage for the brand when it was

exclusive to its own cars. But now that it's opening up the network and other

manufacturers are making great EVs, not so much. There's more choice now and

as you've probably heard, Elon's behavior hasn't helped the company. Also, the

charging competition is starting to get things right. I used 350 kilowatt units at

Electrify America on my 1,300 mile trip from California and I had no problems.

Seriously. And Porsche supports plug-in charge on EA terminals making it easy.

Using Superchargers, I would have to use the app. The Volvo has a max charge

rate of 153 kilowatts. These particular units are rated at 325 kilowatts, but for

whatever reason, I'm not hitting the car's potential. These Tesla charges

are less expensive than what I've experienced at EA terminals by some

20 to 25 percent, but pricing varies. Overall, things are getting much better

when it comes to the charging infrastructure. I didn't need the Tesla

system on my trip from California, but Porsche is supposed to get access

soon. Fingers crossed. It's nice to have the Supercharger network to fall back on,

but I've always stressed it's best to charge where you live. You just plug

in, go to sleep, you wake up and have a full tank of gas as it were.

And at home, it's a lot less expensive than commercial charging, but for

traveling, this is great. In the time it took to get shots of the experience

and grab a snack, I was well charged up. It's common courtesy to leave the

terminal once 80 percent is reached, but the station was empty, so I stuck

around longer. The Electron adapter worked flawlessly. These are really

easy to use, good to have along for those just in case moments. By the way, I

have a full review of the Volvo EX30. It's a fun little car with a big

surprise. It's really fast and I'm doing a full road trip video driving

the Taycan up from Ontario. I'll dig into the Electrify America network

then. Hope you got something out of this. I actually learned a lot. It

went smoother than I would have imagined. And I'm looking forward to the

Supercharger network opening up to Porsche. Not that I've ever needed it,

right? But it's good to have options always. Also, don't buy junk, okay?

Don't get these from Timu. Electric vehicles are really expensive. You

want good equipment. Hey, thanks for watching. And a reminder that I do

do car reviews normally and people seem to really like them. So check those

out. Subscribe to the channel. Click notifications. You can follow me on

social media. I'm on all the major platforms. And if you have a question,

leave it in the comments. I'm really good about getting back to people.

That's Driven. I'm Tom Volk.

About this episode

Exploring the recent expansion of Tesla's Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs, this episode highlights the convenience and challenges of charging different electric vehicles, particularly the Volvo EX30. The host shares personal experiences using the Supercharger with adapters, discusses the evolving charging infrastructure, and compares costs with other networks like Electrify America. Insights on the ease of use, the importance of quality adapters, and the future of charging options for various manufacturers make this episode informative for anyone interested in EV technology.

80 percent charge CCS adapter CCS ports charging infrastructure commercial charging electric vehicles (EVs) Electrify America Electron J1772 kilowatts

Porsche Taycan Tesla Model S Volvo EX30

Original notes

For years, the Supercharger network was a singular reason to buy a Tesla over other brands of electric vehicles. With loads of locations and a reputation for reliability, it's been the charging provider to beat. Now Musk and Company are opening it up to other manufacturers like Ford, GM, Hyundai, and Kia. Tom Voelk loads the Tesla app into his phone and takes the new Volvo EX30 to a Supercharger station to check out the experience. Adapters are needed (unless you're at a Magic Dock terminal). Tom uses a Lectron NACS to CCS Vortex Electric Vehicle Adapter that's rated to 500 Amps / 1,000V. He also explores the Level 2 Tesla Destination Chargers found at hotels and restaurants using the Lectron Tesla to J1772 EV Charging Adapter. FYI, you'll need both to cover your bases.

Tom originally purchased these adapters for personal use. Afterwards, Lectron reached out and provided sample units for testing.

Driven Car Reviews

Tom Voelk

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