Tesla has made a change to its CCS adapter at Supercharger stations known as the Magic Dock. The company has updated the way non-Tesla electric vehicle (EV) owners access the adapter, hinting at a significant upgrade to the user experience for other EV owners coming soon.
Tesla first launched the Magic Docks early last year, retrofitting some existing Supercharger stations in New York with an integrated CCS adapter. After some initial testing in New York, in close proximity to Giga New York where the adapter was developed, Tesla expanded the program later in the year to more states across the country, also expanding the program to three stations in Canada.
The Magic Dock allows non-Tesla EV owners to plug in and use Supercharger stations. Unlike Tesla owners however, they have to download the Tesla mobile app, set up an account, and then select the Supercharger stall in the app in order to unlock the adapter and start the charging session.
In a recent update to the mobile app, X user Branden Flasch (@brandenflasch) noticed Tesla has put out a new set of instructions, in which the adapter is now unlocked by simply pressing the button on the charging handle for two seconds. You can see the old instructions below on the left, and the new instructions on the right.
What this means is that Tesla is likely preparing to launch Plug & Charge functionality at its Superchargers for other EV owners. Plug & Charge is a communication protocol that is essentially what Tesla owners are used to, in that owners can use compatible charging stations by simply plugging in. The charging post will recognize who you are and bill you appropriately, all without having to use a mobile app, RFID card, or a payment terminal to access your account and pay for your charging session.
This update is rolling out just as Ford is about to become the first automaker to gain access to the Supercharger network after signing an agreement with Tesla to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) on its EVs. Ford EV owners are expecting to be able to use the Supercharger network this month, based on comments made by Tesla’s Design Manager of Charging Infrastructure last year.
You can watch a demo of the new way to access the Magic Dock below. It is worth noting that the instructions in our mobile app in Canada still show the old way of using the app to unlock the adapter, so this functionality may not have rolled out to all Magic Dock stations yet.
Tesla is known for providing high quality user experience so it’s good to see that they’re continuing that tradition by making it quick and easy to plug in non-Tesla vehicles at their Magic Dock equipped supercharging stations locations 👏 Plug & Charge incoming!! @TeslaCharging https://t.co/pb0LkhbBag pic.twitter.com/tevRH2YmX6
— The Kilowatts 🚗⚡️ (@klwtts) February 22, 2024
