A big problem suddenly arose when Tesla opened a proprietary charging network: The charging cord was not long enough for other electric vehicles

After years of exclusive operation, Tesla has finally begun expanding its extensive and exclusive SuperCharger network to drivers of other electric vehicles in the US.

Earlier this month, Tesla opened a small portion of about 1,700 charging stations in the US to non-Tesla vehicles. Elon Musk’s company has accomplished this quite simply, by retrofitting what they call the “Magic Dock”. This is an auto-adapter that has a dual latch and the corresponding latch type opens depending on the brand of electric vehicle the user wants to charge. If it’s a Tesla, the bottom latch will open, allowing them to pull out the standard NACS plug. If it’s another brand of EV, the Magic Dock will unlatch the top, meaning the adapter will remain attached to the cable and provide a suitable plug for the CCS-compliant general charging port.

But not so that other vehicles can freely enter and use this service comfortably. Because the charging cord at the station, which is designed specifically for Tesla electric vehicles, is not long enough to comfortably use some other cars. That means users who don’t own Tesla electric vehicles will have to park their cars more “expansively” to plug in the charger. Or worse, they will be forced to park in the wrong place, occupying two charging poles instead of one. And this will obviously affect those using the service at the same time, causing unnecessary friction problems.

As soon as the network of charging stations opened up, many electric vehicle owners flocked to SuperCharger stations to give it a try. Everything is very simple, easy with a seamless process. But they also quickly noticed a glaring flaw in the plan. All Tesla electric vehicles have a charging port in the same location in the rear left corner of the car. The chargers themselves – and the parking spots around the poles – are also designed to accommodate Tesla electric vehicles only. That makes it difficult for other electric cars, given the size of the car and the placement of the charging port elsewhere, to try to charge the battery.

The charging cord is so short that electric vehicle owners are forced to park in front of the charging poles at the SuperCharger station.

YouTuber Marques Brownlee also test-drives his electric Rivian truck to a Tesla station in New York. And he had to park to the side, blocking the way to another charging port, just to plug it in.

In a recent YouTube video, Dave Conner from Out of Spec Reviews, also had to charge a Genesis GV60 electric SUV at a Tesla station while occupying two locations. He noted that this situation can cause many problems, especially in times of high demand for chargers.

“People are going to start getting annoyed with the fact that Tesla already offers this charging service, but the company hasn’t thought through the logistics and how people are going to charge,” Conner said.

Obviously, with large electric SUVs or electric pickups, and the charging port is often located in the middle of the body, it has made “parking neatly” in front of the charging pole a big challenge and impossible. There is usually only one charging post located at the outermost position of the charging array to support a larger space for these models, but it is certainly also the most commonly occupied position.

VinFast models that have been (VF8) and are about to (VF6 and VF7) sold in the US also have a charging port design near the middle of the car. And that also means that the car owner will have to occupy two charging poles, park very close to the pole or try to compete with the charging pole located at the outermost to use the service at the SuperCharge station.

If there is no solution soon, this will cause many disadvantages for both Tesla owners and other automakers. Tesla cars also sometimes have to wait in long lines at charging stations, especially during some peak times. And the fact that the entire charging station is clogged with parking by other automakers can further frustrate Tesla owners.

Elon Musk’s company will have to come up with a fix soon before it wants to deploy Magic Docks to more locations. It seems like the simplest solution is to replace the longer cables so they can reach the charging ports on more vehicles.

Last month, the White House announced that Tesla would supply at least 3,500 fast chargers for vehicles from other manufacturers by 2024. The move gives Tesla access to a portion of the $7.5 billion. federal funding devoted to improving charging station infrastructure.

Consult Business Insider