If you own a Tesla, you have the luxury of being able to rapidly top off your car at any Supercharger location. The Supercharger network is one of the main reasons why Teslas are so popular. But if you’re in an area that doesn’t have a Supercharger, you might need to charge elsewhere.
Electrify America’s network of fast chargers (DCFC) is growing rapidly. You might be thinking, “wait, can I use their chargers on my Tesla?”
The short, ambiguous answer, is maybe.
By default, Tesla’s port on its cars can only accept a Tesla plug. It’s a proprietary connector that the company hasn’t licensed to anyone else to use.
But, Tesla does sell a CHAdeMO adapter for $450 that allows owners to fast charge from one of those plugs.
If you have a CHAdeMO adapter on you, and the Electrify America station has a CHAdeMO plug, then you can charge your car there.
Simply plug the CHAdeMO adapter into the plug on the Electrify America station, and follow the prompts on the screen. Electrify America will have you plug the adapter into the car to start charging.
You’ll have to pay the Electrify America kiosk with your credit card, tap to pay device, or through an Electrify America account. Many stations now charge by the amount of electricity put into the car and not by the amount of time you spend charging.
If you don’t have a CHAdeMO adapter, you’ll be forced to find a Level 2 charger to power your car. It’s a slow process, so you’ll likely just want to get just enough juice so you can make it to the next available Tesla Supercharger location.
Update (11/25/20 10:51 AM EST): Response from Electrify America added.
