Tesla Opens Supercharger Network to All EVs: What Non-Tesla Drivers Need to Know About Pricing and Access

The opening of Tesla's charging network to all EVs isn't just corporate generosity - it's a condition of government funding partnerships that have enabled the company's rapid infrastructure expansion across Australia.

"The New South Wales government has semi-funded a lot of our locations and one of the stipulations is that it's not just exclusive for Tesla," Tesla Australia Company Director Thom Drew said earlier this year.

Drew acknowledged the trade-off: "That's a double-edged sword for us. It's allowing us to get into regional areas that we may not be ready to invest in from a user perspective, but it also helps all EVs."

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According to Tesla Australia Marketing Manager Kevin Goult, the current state of network accessibility is substantial:

• 86 sites open to all EVs (66% of all locations)
• 564 charging posts available to non-Tesla vehicles (69% of total posts)
• 130 total charging locations across Australia
• 817 total charging plugs nationwide

While access is a win for EV adoption broadly, non-Tesla drivers face significantly higher charging costs at many Supercharger locations.

Peak pricing comparison:

• Tesla drivers: $0.61 per kWh
• Non-Tesla drivers: up to $0.85 per kWh
• Other branded charging networks: $0.72 per kWh

This means non-Tesla owners can pay up to 39% more than Tesla drivers at the same charging station - a premium that adds up quickly on longer journeys.

"It can be expensive, obviously, to invest in this and getting the right power to particularly remote locations can be hard," Drew explained. "Making sure that we're building just in time to where the demand is - is how we do it."

The key differentiator for Tesla's charging infrastructure isn't just the number of locations - it's the reliability. The company claims a 99.5% uptime rate across its Australian network in 2024, a figure that stands in stark contrast to the frequent outages reported at other charging networks.

What makes the difference? Tesla controls the entire supply chain.

"We have a full service team that maintains it [chargers]. We obviously have our own parts supply. A lot of the parts are actually shared across the vehicles into the charging technology so we manage the whole thing with live data," Drew noted.

When issues do occur, the response time is measured in days, not months. "If a site goes down - and it's often not an entire site, it's usually a stall or two, we fix it in days, not in months," Drew emphasized.

This reliability addresses one of the most significant barriers to EV adoption in Australia. "You hear this charger in this remote town has been out for six months as there are no parts - we are the total opposite of that," said Drew.

Tesla's approach to network expansion is methodical and data-informed, using actual driving patterns from its existing fleet to determine where new charging infrastructure is needed most.

"We see where our customers drive. We have all that data and that helps us influence our decisions on where to open up new stations," Drew explained.

The company has been operating in Australia since 2010, but Drew sees significant room for growth: "There is still a lot of growth to happen here."

The strategic goal is clear: eliminate range anxiety as a barrier to EV ownership. "What if I can't find a reliable charging station? That's the type of stuff that we want to overcome and give customers that certainty that it's not going to disrupt their lifestyle."