Tesla Supercharger network to be unlocked for rivals

Rival electric cars will soon be able to recharge their batteries using Tesla's proprietary Supercharger network, according to the US car-maker's CEO Elon Musk.

The move to offer up its infrastructure from late this year could see Australians take advantage of the current 36 Supercharger station network that offers peak charging speeds of up to 120kW.

Worldwide, the car-maker's network consists of more than 25,000 charging points, all of which have been exclusive to Tesla drivers.

With at least another 17 Superchargers planned in Australia, or already in construction, the extra availability fast chargers will be a significant boost to the growing local infrastructure for electric cars.

Before too long, Tesla is also expected to introduce its next-gen V3 Superchargers that can charge up to a peak rate of 250kW – more than twice the rate of its current network Down Under.

Currently, the Supercharger network has been focused on the eastern seaboard, from the Sunshine Coast down to Melbourne. Just three stations are available in South Australia, including Adelaide, while the west coast is served by just one location in Eaton, south of Perth.

Less-powerful Tesla Destination Chargers also feature in all Australian states and territories, including Tasmania.

Bolstering other networks that include Chargefox, Musk did not reveal whether extra adaptors would be introduced within the Supercharger network to help accommodate EVs from rival brands.

Musk, who in typical fashion made the announcement via Twitter, is yet to confirm whether the cost of using Tesla's network would remain fixed, or if a premium will be charged for non-Tesla vehicles.

Currently, Tesla charges around 52c/kWh for its owners to use its chargers, which is high compared to 25-40c/kWh levied by Chargefox, although some Teslas can use the Supercharger network for free.