The Cadillac Lyriq is the new hotness from the luxury brand, and the company’s first dedicated EV. It’s quite good, at least based on our first impressions, so you’re probably thinking about ordering one.
You’ve likely heard that fast charging can be hit or miss, depending on where you live, but you’ve seen Tesla’s Superchargers everywhere.
You’d think that all fast chargers are the same, right?
Can the Cadillac Lyriq use a Tesla Supercharger?
No.
You’ll read stories, like this one, about how Tesla is planning on opening up its Supercharger network to other EVs. That’s still in the planning stages as of the date of publication of this story, and it’s also unclear if it’ll be rolled out nationwide or remain a pilot program in a limited area.
The main reason why you can’t just plug your Lyriq into a Supercharger is that Tesla uses a proprietary connector in North America. This does not align with the CCS charger that most other EVs use.
Tesla handles the power delivery, control, and payment through the car’s infotainment for fast charging at a Supercharger. Tesla would have to have an adaptor for you to use, and enable the functionality to pay for the charger through the Tesla app before that would be remotely a possibility.
How do I fast charge my Cadillac Lyriq?
Your Cadillac Lyriq uses the before-mentioned CCS fast charging connector. You’ll need an EV charging station that supports this connector. Luckily, most non-Tesla DCFC support this plug type.
EVGo, Electrify America, ChargePoint and other support this standard. The best way to see where your closest charging station is located is to install the PlugShare (iOS / Android) app and register an account. When you tell it you have a Cadillac Lyriq, it will show you charging stations that support CCS.
Additionally, you can use the built-in navigation system to find the nearest charging station, or use the navigation to plan your entire route, routing you to fast chargers along the way. Plus, you can call OnStar for guidance.
Some of these charging stations will be free to use, while others will charge you for the electricity. If you know you’ll be frequently stopping at one particular type of station — Electrify America, for example — it’d be worth having that app on your phone and setting up an account for seamless processing in the future.
Your Cadillac Lyriq will charge at up to a peak charging rate of 190 kW. You can use slower chargers, but target 150 kW or greater for the best charging experience. Remember, your charge times may vary.
