Toyota Next Automaker to Get Tesla Supercharger Access
Adding to a rapidly growing list, Toyota has announced an agreement that will give electric vehicles from the automaker and its Lexus luxury brand access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Related: When Will All Fast-Charging Stations Be Open to All EVs?
Toyota developed its bZ4x and Lexus’ RZ 450e electric SUVs alongside the Subaru Solterra, but seeing as there are no official ties with the automaker other than the shared development cost, there’s no guarantee that Subaru will be the next automaker to sign on with Tesla. But momentum in the EV sector is solidly in Tesla’s favor, with more than a third of all automakers selling EVs today having signed agreements granting their drivers access to Superchargers. Subaru may not be the next automaker to make a similar announcement, but if and when that happens, we won’t be surprised.
When and How
Toyota’s announcement follows a familiar format: Beginning in 2025, Toyota will make adapters available that allow existing customers to use Tesla’s charging network. Tesla uses a charge port it calls the North American Charging Standard, while other automakers have used a different one, the Combined Charging System, until recently. The plugs are incompatible, like household outlets in America versus Europe; without an adapter, Teslas can’t use CCS chargers and nobody else can use Superchargers.
Also in 2025, Toyota and Lexus will begin manufacturing their EVs with the NACS port. Automakers that have reached similar agreements with Tesla are so far split on whether their vehicles will have both NACS and CCS ports or just CCS ports; Toyota and Lexus will only have the NACS port.
Why
These agreements are a huge development for drivers of non-Tesla EVs. According to the Department of Energy, Tesla operates nearly two-thirds of all DC fast chargers in the U.S. Electrify America is the second-largest network stateside, and it recently announced that it will start adding NACS plugs at its new charging stations and retrofitting them to the old stations by 2025. As DC fast charging like that provided by Superchargers cuts charge time from hours to minutes, instant access to a network as vast as Tesla’s significantly opens up longer-distance travel options for drivers of these brands’ EVs.
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