GM EVs Now Working At Tesla Superchargers!

Join daily news updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or follow us on Google News!

Phrase on the road is that GM is about to announce that the Tesla Supercharger community is open to the corporate’s EVs. The rumored worth for the adapter is $225 from some sources and $26 from others, so we’ll have to attend for an official announcement earlier than we go judgment. Pricing apart, the people who find themselves saying it’s about to open up did give us a rumor we will take a look at for ourselves: that the automobiles are actually working.

So, that’s precisely what I did. Lengthy story quick: it really works!

Not Formally Open But

As of this writing (which could possibly be outdated inside mere hours), GM has not formally introduced that the community is open. Tesla’s app additionally doesn’t present V3 and V4 stations working for GM autos except the station has Magic Dock functionality. So, to see if a GM car can cost at a Supercharger, it’s important to trick the Tesla app by telling it that you’ve a Ford or a Rivian. This enables the session to start out for now whereas we’re ready for an replace to the app that lists stations open to GM autos.

Official GM adapters are additionally not out there but, and even as soon as they announce, they most likely received’t be fast to get. However high quality adapters from corporations like A2Z and Lectron, in addition to adapters bought for Ford and Rivian autos, ought to all work the identical. The adapters aren’t “smart” and solely bodily join completely different pins collectively. NACS charging periods all use the CCS protocol CCS automobiles are used to, so so long as the adapter is made effectively, it makes no distinction.

It Was Form Of Boring (& That’s A Good Factor!)

Right here’s the factor: I’ve had plenty of fascinating tales from charging stations. Generally they’re flaky. Generally it’s important to plug them in 2+ occasions for the charging session to start out. Different occasions there’s a billing error, the charging is slower than it must be, or worst of all, you possibly can’t get a cost in any respect. Are these issues fascinating? Undoubtedly. Is it the sort of fascinating we wish to see with charging? Completely not!

Once I arrived on the Supercharger, I received my adapters out, plugged one among them into the top of the Supercharger’s cable, after which plugged it into the automobile. Simply the identical as at CCS stations, the Bolt EUV’s charging mild on the dashboard turned orange. I then received into the Tesla app, chosen the placement, picked a charger quantity, after which instructed it to start out charging. And it did precisely that: began charging.

About the one approach it may be much less fascinating is that if GM permits some form of plug and cost with Tesla. For instance, my Bolt can merely plug in at an EVgo station and it begins up charging after a brief delay. I don’t know if Tesla’s software program or GM’s app are able to doing one thing like that, however that will be about the one method to make the method seamless and totally painless.

My Two Adapters

Whereas I used to be ready for GM and Tesla to allow charging at Tesla stations, I had two corporations ship me CCS-to-Supercharger adapters for overview. Sadly, I’ve been unable to overview them, as a result of I don’t personal a suitable automobile. It appeared like my lowly Bolt would get charging fairly shortly after Ford did, however that merely hasn’t been the case. I did take a look at them for mechanical match, however I couldn’t actually be certain they labored.

The primary one I attempted was the A2Z adapter. It’s the smaller of the 2, however comes with the quirk of needing to push a change on the underside of the unit to safe it to the Supercharger cable. However, if you recognize to do this, it’s an incredible adapter. It doesn’t stick out very far, it’s compact, and it doesn’t weigh lots. It additionally is available in a pleasant little carrying case that protects it from dings, scratches, and drops. This makes it simpler to only drop in a trunk or frunk and never fear about.

The Lectron unit, alternatively, is constructed like a tank. It’s massive. It’s cumbersome. However, it’s additionally powerful. You may really feel the load of it in your arms and it’s apparent that it’s not going to be straightforward to interrupt. Not that the A2Z adapter isn’t powerful (I’m certain it’s), however the Lectron is only a heavy obligation piece of apparatus. However, it’s powerful in one other approach as effectively: powerful to take away. The Supercharger deal with suits very tightly into the adapter, and it’s simpler to take away if you happen to unplug it whereas the adapter remains to be plugged into the automobile.

Remaining Questions

In the case of charging GM EVs at Supercharger stations, there are a number of massive open questions remaining that ought to hopefully be answered within the coming days.

First off, we haven’t heard from GM on adapters but. Some sources are saying the adapters shall be out there at GM sellers for $26. Others are saying that the adapter shall be over $200. There are ups and downs to every, however I’ll say that if the adapter is simply too costly or it takes too lengthy to get, EV drivers shouldn’t hesitate to go together with a high-quality third get together adapter or purchase one from Ford, Rivian, or anybody else who’s promoting an official adapter. The one factor to keep away from is junky import adapters. At all times learn evaluations.

The subsequent query is software program. I used to be in a position to make use of the Tesla app to provoke a cost, however solely by mendacity to it and telling it I had an F-150 Lightning. This didn’t work earlier this 12 months, so Tesla is clearly permitting GM automobiles on the community now, nevertheless it’s not official and within the open (at the least as of this writing!). GM is prone to enable some type of charging activation within the GM-branded apps, like myChevrolet, and this would possibly embody some type of plug and cost ultimately.

Lastly, we don’t but know whether or not the roll-out goes to occur slowly. The unofficial entry might finish earlier than coming again, because it could possibly be in some type of testing proper now.

Limitations

Personally, I see the Supercharger community as being an incredible backup and an effective way to get entry to some extra locations. I do know there are non-Tesla EV house owners who will begin utilizing Superchargers solely and by no means look again, and I completely get that. However, I’d prefer to encourage extra corporations to remain within the recreation and change into higher. However, if I can’t cost with another person for no matter cause, I’m positively glad to have the choice to Supercharge.

No matter the way you’re going to make use of it, it’s necessary to needless to say solely V3 and V4 Superchargers assist CCS autos. These are straightforward to establish on charging maps as a result of they’ve 250+ kW speeds. Some apps like PlugShare additionally filter out stations that received’t work in your car, too. Simply don’t assume that the various V2 chargers are going to work except you may have a Tesla!

All pictures by Jennifer Sensiba.