Tesla has improved its Supercharger navigation to make towing with your electric vehicle (EV) easier. With the latest software update, Tesla now identifies Supercharger stations with trailer-friendly stalls.
Charging an EV while towing has traditionally been a hassle. Drivers often face the challenge of either unhitching their trailers or occupying multiple charging spots, disrupting the flow at busy Supercharger stations. To address this, Tesla has developed two types of Supercharger stalls, pull-through and pull-in stalls, allowing vehicles with trailers to charge without unhitching. However, these stalls are not yet widespread, making them difficult to locate when planning a long-distance trip.
To tackle this, Tesla has improved its navigation system for drivers towing trailers with software update 2024.44.1 or later. When a vehicle is set to “Trailer Mode,” the system prioritizes trailer-friendly Supercharger stations in its search results. If Trailer Mode is not enabled, you can also now tap on a Supercharger pin on the map to show whether the station includes trailer-friendly stalls, significantly simplifying route planning for drivers.
You can now tap on the Supercharger pin to see if there are trailer-compatible stalls. If your vehicle is in Trailer Mode, trailer-friendly Supercharger locations appear at the top of the list. pic.twitter.com/DNtjpyNDjb
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) November 19, 2024
This improvement benefits not only Tesla drivers but also other EV owners, as Tesla continues to open its Supercharger network to non-Tesla vehicles. Automakers such as Ford, Rivian, and General Motors, all of which have EVs capable of towing, have gained access to use the Supercharger network. While this new feature that identifies trailer-friendly Superchargers is currently Tesla-specific, it is likely only a matter of time before this is integrated into other manufacturers’ navigation systems via Tesla’s Supercharger API.
While the navigation now identifies trailer-friendly Superchargers, there is still the chance that you might show up with your trailer only to find the trailer-compatible stalls to be occupied by those not towing. To help with this, the company is adding signage to encourage non-towing EV drivers to only use these stalls if no others are available.
Along with this change to the navigation, Tesla also has these physical signs advising owners to only use trailer-friendly stalls if no others are available. https://t.co/HFo4LvvvVF pic.twitter.com/SjSM4Hur4Q
— Drive Tesla (@DriveTeslaca) November 19, 2024
