What are the advantages to getting an electric car?

The short-term advantages are: they're cheaper to run, easier to drive and simpler to maintain. The main long-term advantage is that because EVs are zero emission, our built up areas and cities will have much cleaner air for us all to breathe. That reduces risk of ill health and death and, of course, protects and preserves our planet and wildlife.

What are the disadvantages to getting an electric car?

EVs can be expensive to purchase (that's where electric car subscriptions can help) and charging or range is a blocker for some people. It doesn't have to be, though, as you can turn charging on its head and make it work for you with a bit of planning.nnAs for range, it's said the average UK driver does no more than 30 miles per day; nearly all modern EVs would happily get you around in that scenario with just one charge per week. That doesn't stop range anxiety creeping in of course, but Jess from the team has written about her experience and how she quickly overcame it.

How can I afford an electric car?

At the moment, electric cars are more than their ICE (internal combustion engine) equivalents. But, that doesn't mean they're out of reach.nnYou could think about leasing an electric car, but leases still often require a large upfront deposit and lengthy contracts. With electric car subscriptions, you can usually get an EV delivered to your door within a week with no deposit required and just a 60 day or 12 month minimum term.

How much will my electricity bill go up with an electric car in the UK?

A good question. The cost of electricity is in flux for a number of reasons and will likely remain so for some time. That said, even charging an electric car from home all the time, it's highly likely you'll still end up paying less than if you were to add fuel costs for your ICE car (internal combustion engine) to your existing utility bills.nnSo, in short, you'll notice your electricity bill go up a fair bit -- but when you compare to what you were spending each month overall, you should notice a saving.nnWe've written about how depsite charging cost increase, electric car drivers still save money on our blog.

Tesla Superchargers for non-Tesla drivers

By Josh Bowness

May 22, 2023

Tesla Superchargers are… pretty super! It’s what’s made being a Tesla driver so special since the first Supercharger was installed in the UK in 2014. But for the longest time only Tesla drivers have been able to benefit from them…

Not anymore.

Tesla have opened up some of their Supercharging network of chargers to non-Tesla drivers. What does this mean for those who drive a Tesla already, and how could this help non-Tesla drivers? What does it cost? And what are the pros and cons of this decision?

In this blog, I’ll help you understand what it all means if you either drive a Tesla or not – and how to use them, too.

Zećira Mušović sat in the boot of a Fiat 500e with the charging cables

Can non-Tesla cars use the Superchargers in the UK?

Yes, they can, but only a select few. And only if your car has a CCS connector (Type 2 only won’t do I’m afraid!).

Tesla want to keep their large piece of the EV pie, so they’ve opened up 23 of their 1000+ Tesla Superchargers in the UK for non-Tesla owners as an extended trial (as of May 2023), to see whether they could feasibly make all of them open to non-Tesla drivers.

It seems they’re very much making this their long-term mission – time will tell how it all unfolds.

Where are the non-Tesla superchargers?

You can find the non-Tesla Superchargers at 23 of their sites across the UK, including: Folkestone, Banbury, Birmingham, Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Cambridge, Manchester, Liverpool, Dundee and Aviemore, plus 5 in and around London and a few more just outside near Reading and Guildford.

The online Tesla supercharger map is great because you can filter it to find just the non-Tesla Superchargers… neat!

Black tesla Model 3 parked outside a house

How do non-Tesla drivers use a Tesla Supercharger?

If you don’t drive a Tesla EV, you’ll need to download the Tesla app from the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android).

Once downloaded, you’ll need to register for an account with your email address and card/payment details. Tesla will charge you for the electricity you use through the app. You have to use the app – you can’t use contactless card on the charger itself… because it doesn’t have a screen!

Select Charge your non-Tesla in the app and then it’ll let you choose which site you’re at. Then you’ll need to select which stall you’re at; there’ll be a little number (usually at the bottom of the charger) with a letter, something like “3B” or “4A”.

Tap Start charging and your non-Tesla will begin to charge up, lovely.

Here’s something worth noting: even though the Supercharger could in theory charge up to 150kW, even if your non-Tesla has a higher max charging speed than that, it may not charge at that top rate. That’s because Tesla battery packs run a different voltage to other manufacturers – we won’t go into it here, just take our word for it.

Tesla Supercharger costs – what will you pay?

Tesla drivers

As of May 2023, it costs a Tesla driver 52p/kWh. This varies depending on location, time of day and how fast that specific Supercharger is.

Non-Tesla drivers

As of May 2023, it costs a non-Tesla driver 65p/kWh, again varying on location and so forth.

So, it’s currently on average 13p/kWh more for non-Tesla drivers to use a Supercharger. Whether this increases or decreases in time we’re yet to see but… them’s the breaks for the moment.

Tesla membership

There is a membership though for non-Tesla drivers that’ll give you cheaper rates… but you’ll have to pay monthly for it. Check the app for more information.

Things to remember when charging

Tesla’s have their charge ports right at the rear corner of the car, so the tethered cables on the Superchargers themselves are not that long.

Other manufacturers have put their charge ports in different places, so you’ll need to get yours as close to the charger as possible. Just don’t cut other people off or block the space next to you, you’ll get some nasty looks and possibly a few choice words.

It’s also worth pointing out that some chargers use the same electricity supply (i.e. stall 1A and 1B for example). That means if there’s someone charging on 1A, if you use 1B you would effectively be slowing down their charge. If there’s another free that’s not in use, try to prioritise that one instead.

Tesla Superchargers: a brief run-down

“The largest global, fast charging network in the world”
– Tesla

A Tesla Supercharger is, fairly obviously, an electric car charger made by Tesla. It’s unique because up to this point car manufacturers hadn’t created a chain of bespoke car chargers just for their customers. It was a huge selling point for Tesla drivers.

The reason they’re super is because they’re extremely quick. It’s said they can add up to 172 miles of range in just 15 minutes, revolutionising the way in which EV drivers travel long-distances. Gone were the days of waiting 3 hours per charge. Back in the mid 2010s, if you were a regularly covering long distances and wanted to go electric, a Tesla was the only viable, useable option really.

They strategically placed them on major routes in the UK and around the world meaning Tesla drivers never need suffer from range anxiety or worry about being late.

But fast forward a few years and the other manufacturers have caught up. More consumers are moving to other companies for their premium EVs and, despite a Tesla remaining one of the most sold and registered cars recently, that means we need more chargers.

The pros and cons…

For non-Tesla drivers:

You’ll benefit from faster, more reliable electric car chargers and a wider network in the UK…
But you’ll penalised with higher prices for not driving a Tesla. Annoying.

For Tesla drivers:

More people queueing in slower charging cars for what were previously your chargers…
But Tesla makes more money. More money means more software updates and exciting things for you, as a Tesla owner, to enjoy…

Will this work?

Only time will tell, but it’s certainly on Tesla’s radar to open more and more sites up to non-Teslas. After all, last year we started at 15 and now we’re at 23… the number is climbing!

Related sources

Tesla Model 3 vs Polestar 2

We compare the Model 3 against one of it’s main all-electric rivals, the Polestar 2.

Women getting into a black Peugeot e-2008

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We discover the 15 best EV apps for UK electric car drivers.

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Tesla Superchargers for non-Tesla drivers

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