What makes for a "Compatible Tesla Supercharger" ?

[wmarler]

Looking at the charging station map on https://rivian.com/experience/charging some Tesla Superchargers are shown on the map with green dots with the label "Compatible Tesla Superchargers"

What makes one station compatible and another not compatible?

It's not just 250kW Tesla SC or 150kW. For example, I live in Colorado and the Rivian map lists the station in Edwards (just west of Vail) as compatible, but it doesn't list the 250kW station in Silverthorne as available.

From Supercharge.info (there are 2 SC's in Silverthorne, one is 150kW the other is 250kW):

From rivian.com:

I'm sure lots of people have speculative answers, but does anyone know ?

I'm looking forward to the videos/reports of people trying incompatible SC's -- what happens? What error message (if any)?

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[COdogman]

That is going to be confusing for the near future. The only ones you can be sure will work are magic dock equipped and have the adapter built in. Not many of those out there at this point.

v1, v2 superchargers will never be compatible. And Tesla gets to choose which v3, v4 superchargers are open to us, so it will probably take a while for Rivian to get their app lined up with what we can actually use.

I would use Plugshare to check a charger. If you see any non Tesla check ins there, you will know it's either a magic dock or those EVs had adapters.

FWIW this is how a magic dock station is listed on the Tesla website. This is the new station in Johnstown, at the Buc-ee's.

 

[Chris TX]

It has to be V3 and up. There are tons of old V2 Superchargers out there which max out at 150kW charging and they have shared pairs. They'll eventually change the V2s out for V4s.

 

[sub]

It has to be V3 and up. There are tons of old V2 Superchargers out there which max out at 150kW charging and they have shared pairs. They'll eventually change the V2s out for V4s.

The OP's point is that some V3 chargers are listed as incompatible.

Both the Tesla app and the Rivian App list the Silverthorne supercharger as not compatible even though it is a V3 charger.

 

[azbill]

Not all V3 stations have been made software compatible yet. Tesla is slowly updating them, for example I have seen two recent V3 sites in Phoenix that had been listed as incompatible, just updated to be compatible in the last two weeks. In fact, one (Goodyear AZ) of those two is still not listed in the Rivian app as compatible, but in the Tesla app it is.

Edit: the Goodyear Tesla chargers just toggled today as available in the Rivian app.

 

[emoore]

The OP's point is that some V3 chargers are listed as incompatible.

Both the Tesla app and the Rivian App list the Silverthorne supercharger as not compatible even though it is a V3 charger.

during the Ford supercharger announcement I think there was a statement from Tesla that they are keeping some V3 superchargers Tesla only. So everyone should complain to Tesla to open those up.

 

[emoore]

Not all V3 stations have been made software compatible yet. Tesla is slowly updating them, for example I have seen two recent V3 sites in Phoenix that had been listed as incompatible, just updated to be compatible in the last two weeks. In fact, one (Goodyear AZ) of those two is still not listed in the Rivian app as compatible, but in the Tesla app it is.

I think Tesla also said it would keep some V3s Tesla only due to congestion. Not sure if those will ever open up to CCS cars.

 

[seatosummit]

I too have seen V3 SCs go from incompatible to compatible in the last couple weeks since Ford announced. In this case in Goleta and San Luis Obispo.

Out of Spec Kyle mentioned something about a DC meter requiring an update to enable compatibility with non-Tesla vehicles, but I have not seen that confirmed anywhere else.

From what I have seen, all of the V4 dispensers have been equipped with native magic docks, so hopefully their continued rollout and replacement of existing equipment makes for an easier, adapter free experience.

 

[azbill]

I think Tesla also said it would keep some V3s Tesla only due to congestion. Not sure if those will ever open up to CCS cars.

The one at Westgate in Glendale AZ is extremely busy and they opened it up last week for NACS. But the pricing at that site is $0.57/kwh during the day. 5 miles away, another site in Glendale (Magic Dock) costs $0.39/kwh 24 hours a day. It is always near empty.

Tesla bases their pricing on the congestion at the different sites.

 

[azbill]

Out of Spec Kyle mentioned something about a DC meter requiring an update to enable compatibility with non-Tesla vehicles, but I have not seen that confirmed anywhere else.

I think the update has to do with the 500A limit when charging CCS cars. The adapters and magic docks are limited to 500A. Some Teslas will take 700A.

 

[emoore]

The one at Westgate in Glendale AZ is extremely busy and they opened it up last week for NACS. But the pricing at that site is $0.57/kwh during the day. 5 miles away, another site in Glendale (Magic Dock) costs $0.39/kwh 24 hours a day. It is always near empty.

Tesla bases their pricing on the congestion at the different sites.

Yeah I've been looking and some less congested superchargers aren't available but might just need some hardware updates. But the fact that Tesla said they are going to keep some Tesla only makes me think that not all V3s will be available to CCS cars.

 

[seatosummit]

I think the update has to do with the 500A limit when charging CCS cars. The adapters and magic docks are limited to 500A. Some Teslas will take 700A.

That would make sense. I would imagine it is not a HW replacement, but rather just a FW update then, which wasn't clear in the Batteries Included podcast mention of the "update".

 

[CharonPDX]

I would use Plugshare to check a charger. If you see any non Tesla check ins there, you will know it's either a magic dock or those EVs had adapters.

That’s no guarantee. Especially if the Supercharger is in the same parking lot as an EA/RAN/EVgo/etc. I’ve seen a check-in at a Supercharger for a Hyundai that included a photo of the EA in the same parking lot.

Even if it isn’t, a multi-EV owner can forget to switch EVs when checking in with PlugShare, showing the wrong EV. I know I’ve done that before - accidentally said I charged my Mach-E at a RAN, when I was driving/charging my Rivian.

 

[COdogman]

That’s no guarantee. Especially if the Supercharger is in the same parking lot as an EA/RAN/EVgo/etc. I’ve seen a check-in at a Supercharger for a Hyundai that included a photo of the EA in the same parking lot.

Even if it isn’t, a multi-EV owner can forget to switch EVs when checking in with PlugShare, showing the wrong EV. I know I’ve done that before - accidentally said I charged my Mach-E at a RAN, when I was driving/charging my Rivian.

Great points. I agree 100%. I was just suggesting Plugshare in the absence of any other information until the picture of what's available becomes more clear.

 

[wmarler]

Thanks everyone! Good to know v1 and v2 Superchargers will never be compatible, and really interesting to hear your experiences with stations displaying "incompatible" one week, and then "compatible" the next. Also good tip to look at the Tesla app! Very interesting again to see the Tesla map & the Rivian app not entirely consistent. I expect the bumps to work themselves out over time, as the various teams get their API calls bulletproofed.

Another thing that I would expect to always "just work" is for the in-truck interface to navigate to a charging spot. I would expect an incompatible charger to never show in the in-truck interface, and not be a charger to navigate towards to trigger pre-charge conditioning. Obviously that tool is cumbersome when planning a trip whilst I'm sitting at my desk, but I'd still expect it to be canonical.

I look forward to social media reports as this functionality gets tested!

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