(Credit: Tesla) In a major win for EV drivers, Tesla is opening up its Supercharger network to all non-Tesla EVs. So far, just six brands can power up at select stations: Ford, Rivian, General Motors (GM), Polestar, Volvo, and Nissan. Mercedes is up next, the brand announced today, with access starting in February 2025. The rest of the major automakers will follow, with the rollout likely culminating in the summer, when some of the last brands, like Volkswagen, are slated to get access. Keep in mind that this does not cover the entire Supercharger network. Tesla has restricted access to some stations, particularly in dense regions and stations that lack the software or hardware to support other brands. Also, Tesla has said it may inflate charging fees for other brands, though you can get the same rates as Tesla drivers if you sign up for a $12.99/month Supercharger membership. Still, drivers have access to around 20,000 V3 Superchargers, the best and most powerful type of charger in the network. Drivers must use an adapter, which costs anywhere from $180 for the off-market options, to around $200-$230 for the brand-approved hardware. Starting in 2025, all brands will build the Tesla-backed NACS port directly into their vehicles, removing the need for an adapter and effectively creating a new industry standard. Ford adapter to convert charge port from CCS to NACS (Credit: Emily Forlini) Tesla's Battle for NACS Dominance Tesla has been working to make its in-house connector the national standard since November 2022, when it published the manufacturing specs for the port, dubbed it the North American Charging Standard (NACS), and invited other automakers to adopt it. Tesla argued its in-house connector is smaller, easier to handle, and more reliable than the port all non-Tesla EVs are currently built with, the Combined Charging System (CCS). Plus, Superchargers make up around a third of the 60,000 public fast chargers in the US, according to the US Department of Energy. NACS ports are smaller than CCS. (Credit: Tesla) No brands immediately jumped at the opportunity to switch to NACS. At CES 2023, Mercedes told PCMag it would "never" adopt NACS, but after Ford took the plunge, Mercedes and all other automakers followed suit to give their drivers more charging options on the road. The Society of Automotive Engineers is working on certifying Tesla's NACS port as the national standard under the new name of SAE J3400. Other charging companies—like Blink, ChargePoint, and Electrify America—plan to offer CCS and NACS plug-ins on new stations. Not So Fast: Adapter Backlogs, Blocking Cars The move is a major win for Tesla as well as consumers who won't need to keep track of charge port types anymore, but there are still lots of unanswered questions about what this Supercharger-filled future of EV driving looks like. One of the biggest issues so far has been the limited supply of adapters, which caused months-long delivery delays for the first brands to get access like Ford and Rivian. However, that issue seems to be slowly resolving, without many concerns toward the end of 2024. It's also unclear how much Supercharger access will move the needle on EV adoption. Up to 90% of charging occurs at home, and Superchargers are public. Apartment dwellers and others who cannot charge at home may benefit the most by having more reliable places to power up. (Credit: Emily Forlini) Tesla may also need to update older stations to accommodate other brands. For example, the cables that run from the Supercharger to the car are too short to reach the ports on non-Teslas. So, non-Tesla drivers may have to play with the positioning of their vehicles in order to reach the Supercharger cord, blocking other charging spots. Recommended by Our Editors