As anticipated, extra carmakers proceed to affix in partnership with Tesla on Tesla Supercharger entry for his or her automobiles. After Ford broke open the dam, GM, Rivian, and varied charging networks have adopted in partnering with Tesla on this. The newest information is that Volvo Vehicles is partnering with Tesla, too.
Proper at first of its announcement, Volvo Vehicles reiterates its plan to promote 100% electrical automobiles — solely absolutely electrical automobiles — by 2030. The corporate decided that so as to take action, Volvo Vehicles wanted to supply consumers the perfect charging expertise potential, and meaning partnering with Tesla and giving Volvo consumers Tesla Supercharger (aka North American Charging Normal) entry. (Humorous the way it simply decided this after Ford, GM, and Rivian got here to the identical conclusion.)
Within the case of Volvo Vehicles, new autos will embrace the North American Charging Normal (NACS) charging port beginning in 2025. No want for an adapter — simply plug in and charger at a Tesla Supercharger close to you. Earlier than then, although, Volvo Vehicles electrical automobile consumers will get a Tesla charging adapter beginning within the first half of 2024.
One humorous factor about this current development is that it comes lengthy after we spent years pushing for it. A number of years in the past, Tesla invited different automakers to associate with it on Supercharging. We pushed for automakers to take Tesla up on the provide and speed up EV adoption for his or her consumers, and EV charging comfort and reliability for them. We even wrote an open letter to Carlos Ghosn and received varied distinguished signatories on it — since we assumed he’d be the one most certainly to simply accept Tesla’s invitation. After some time, although, we gave up on the concept. It appeared that no automaker would be part of Tesla on this; CCS fast-charging stations began rolling out in a lot greater quantity, creating good networks of chargers; and we accepted that there’d be the Tesla community and there’d be the CCS community for everybody else. Regardless that shoppers clearly needed (and wanted) entry to Tesla Supercharging, delight and hubris received … we thought. Then Jim Farley’s youngsters and road-tripping in a Ford F-150 Lightning electrical pickup truck made him understand that Ford EV consumers actually wanted entry to Tesla Superchargers to have a very good road-tripping expertise. And the remainder is historical past.
One other humorous factor right here is that, whereas Tesla drivers have had the perfect charging choices for years, non-Tesla electrical autos with built-in Tesla Supercharger (NACS) ports or complimentary Tesla charging adapters can have higher EV quick charging choices than Tesla drivers! Until Tesla drivers purchase adapters to make use of CCS chargers, they are going to lack entry to these different quick chargers whereas Ford, GM, Rivian, and Volvo drivers (and whoever joins subsequent) can have entry to each Tesla Superchargers and CCS quick chargers, giving them superior charging entry. I’m curious to see if that impacts EV shopping for traits within the US. (Although, higher entry or not, if different automakers don’t produce much more EVs, there aren’t much more non-Tesla EVs to promote to consumers.)
Again to Volvo Vehicles, that is how the corporate explains this benefit:
“The association offers absolutely electrical Volvo drivers entry to 12,000 new fast-charge factors, a determine that’s anticipated to develop as Tesla continues to broaden its Supercharger community within the area.
“These new charging factors come along with Volvo drivers’ current entry to tens of hundreds of fast-charge factors.”
Briefly, 22,000+ (12,000+ plus 10,000+) is larger than 12,000+. So, for those who care rather a lot about quick charging, Volvo Vehicles will get the sting right here over Tesla.
Word that the brand new Volvo automobiles coming with the Tesla Supercharging port is not going to have a separate CCS port. As an alternative, they are going to obtain a complimentary CCS adapter. I’m undecided what the complete rationale for that’s, however my guess is that Volvo Vehicles acknowledges the Tesla Supercharger community as being superior and figures that the default charging port needs to be the superior one. (Maybe it’s additionally extra price environment friendly this manner? Or maybe it’s extra of a advertising and marketing choice? However I might put these prospects as much less doubtless, or complementary, to the principle subject of the Tesla Supercharging community clearly being the extra dependable, extra handy, extra helpful fast-charging community for many EV drivers.)
“As a part of our journey to turning into absolutely electrical by 2030, we need to make life with an electrical automobile as simple as potential,” stated Jim Rowan, CEO at Volvo Vehicles. “One main inhibitor to extra individuals making the shift to electrical driving – a key step in making transportation extra sustainable – is entry to simple and handy charging infrastructure. In the present day, with this settlement, we’re taking a serious step to take away this threshold for Volvo drivers in the USA, Canada and Mexico.”
Kudos to Volvo. Higher late than by no means.
Volvo electrical automobiles embrace the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. The EX30 and EX90 are coming quickly, too. Volvo EV drivers will have the ability to discover Superchargers utilizing their Volvo Vehicles app, and presumably additionally by way of the in-car navigation system (however that hasn’t been explicitly said but).
All pictures courtesy of Volvo Vehicles.
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