After the sharp price reduction at the beginning of this year, Tesla's share price soared, and Musk regained his position as the richest man in the world. Under continuous heat, Tesla launched Magic Dock.
On March 1, 2023, Tesla officially released the Supercharger option for non-Tesla vehicles, which is called Magic Dock, an accessory that is modified on the Supercharger to be compatible with the CCS1 (CCS Combo1) standard.
In order to enable the existing Tesla Supercharger to charge vehicles through the CCS port, Tesla developed a new charging plug docking box with a small built-in self-locking NACS-CCS 1 adapter.
And as for CCS2 (CCS Combo 2), the new Tesla and other brands of EVs are natively compatible with the CCS2 connector, so there is no compatibility issue.
CCS charger is big and bulky, but Tesla's connector is smaller, and the cable is lighter and easier to use, and the CCS charging station, the cable is heavy, it is difficult to drag and insert; thus, it seems that Tesla became the White House named to promote its charger messenger is not unreasonable.
- The Specific Shape and Function of Magic Dock
- Tesla Opened Its Supercharger Network Also Due to Government Pressure
- The Latest Magic Dock Supercharger Station
- Non-Tesla Use of Supercharger Stations
Like its name, Magic Dock has a very magical conversion function
The Magic Dock, as shown in the picture, can be integrated into the V3 Supercharger without the need for a third party to store the adapter in a separate box or pull a separate charging cable from the CCS1.
The working principle of Magic Dock is to connect a regular Tesla connector to a box containing Tesla to CCS adapters. Drivers of CCS cars can use the Tesla application to request the charger to release the adapter and lock the Tesla connector into the adapter. So when they pull the power cord, they will pull out a power cord with a CCS plug on the end. When Tesla owners unplug the wires (they must press the button), they will get their usual wires.
The benefits of Tesla's Magic Dock are: the original charging cradle does not need to be significantly modified; there is no need for additional adapter storage boxes; the same charging cradle can support both TPC and CCS1 needs; and Tesla owners who originally used TPC will not have fewer charging cradles to use.
With the passage of time, the number of sites, including Magic Dock, will be increased through renovation. Tesla is likely to install the most (if not all) magic docks in its new supercharging stations.
"We are starting with a select number of sites so that we can review the experience, monitor congestion and assess feedback ahead of expanding. Future sites will only be open to non-Tesla vehicles in case there is available capacity."
This means that the Tesla Supercharger network will soon become the largest public electric vehicle charging network in the United States.
Under government pressure, Tesla also has no choice
The development of electric vehicles in the United States is earlier, but it is relatively lagging behind at present. In 2019 and 2020, there was even negative growth, and the growth of ownership was slightly slower. During the three years from 2019 to 2021, the CAGR was only 21.7. Due to the slowdown in sales of new energy vehicles, coupled with a certain degree of lag in infrastructure construction, the car-pileated improved slightly after reaching a high point in 2018, but the car-pile ratio of up to 15.7: 1 is still far from satisfying the comfortable charging demand, and infrastructure construction is obviously lagging behind the development of new energy vehicles.
The charging network for electric vehicles is a key part of Biden's infrastructure plan to build 500,000 charging piles for electric vehicles by 2030, and the sales of electric vehicle account for 50% of all new car sales in the United States, thus promoting clean energy and creating more employment opportunities.
Biden said the lack of charging piles in the U.S. slows not only the growth of electric vehicle sales but also diminishes the positive environmental impact of electric vehicles.
On March 31, 2021, the U.S. White House released this project, which calls for focused support for new energy generation, energy storage, new energy vehicles and the electric grid. It calls for a $174 billion investment in the electric vehicle industry, including rebates and tax incentives for car buyers, to encourage U.S. consumers to buy electric vehicles.
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires Tesla to expand its exclusive charging facilities in the United States in addition to increasing the charging facilities available for other electric vehicles. Otherwise, Tesla will be removed from eligibility for the $7.5 billion in subsidies provided by the government.
Despite Musk's previous denunciations of interference by the U.S. government, the opening of Tesla's Supercharger network to non-Teslas also seems to be a nail in the coffin due to the increasing pressure exerted by the U.S. government.
The mass availability of the Supercharger network could be a huge blow to Tesla, and while it could provide a new revenue stream for the company, it could also have a negative impact on the brand's exclusive appeal (the Tesla Supercharger network is one of the biggest advantages the company has). In addition, the difficulty of managing a network that works for all-electric vehicles should not be underestimated.
It is worth noting that not only Tesla is eligible for government funding, but all companies that can help accelerate the installation of EV charging stations with CCS connectors, such as EVgo, Electrify America and ChargePoint, are likely candidates for government funding.
Let's take a look at the latest Magic Dock Supercharging Station
The latest Tesla Supercharger station with Magic Dock was spotted in Long Island, New York, on March 8, 2023. Since the Tesla supercharging station network was opened to other electric vehicles in the United States, the number of supported chargers has continued to grow due to the new Magic Dock. Starting with several locations in upstate New York, Magic Dock chargers can now be found on both the East and West coasts of the United States.
This new non-Tesla charging station is located in the north of Shirley, New York, and it is the ninth charging station with more than 50 chargers in the state.
With the rapid expansion of Tesla's charging stations on the east and west coasts, more states may receive chargers in the next few months.
New York and California are both home to super factories, so we suspect that the next state to obtain CCS-compatible Superchargers will be Texas, where Tesla produces Y-cars and plans to assemble the Semi and Cybertruck, which is also the headquarters of the company.More content can be found in this blog-Tesla Magic Dock rollout continues with Supercharger on Long Island
Specific use of other brands of cars at Superchargers
We learned that the cables and chargers in the supercharging stations with Magic Dock installed are optimized for Tesla cars, and the charging ports are located at the back corner of the driver's seat. The charging port of most non-Tesla electric vehicles is located in the rear corner of the driver's side or the front corner of the passenger's side, and there is no problem with parking and plugging in. However, electric vehicles that do not have charging ports located in these locations may face some difficulties.
Depending on the location of the charging port of electric vehicles, the driver may need to stop to reach the cable because these charging stations were originally designed for Tesla vehicles. If you are having difficulty making the cable reachable, it is best to look for a pull-through point first.
In terms of use, the difference between the plug-and-play experience of non-Tesla owners and Tesla owners is that the steps required by non-Tesla owners are slightly more complicated. It is similar to the current practice of third-party charging stations. First, non-Tesla owners must download the Tesla application and complete the registration and payment settings. Then they can search for nearby supercharging stations through the application. Then they must go to the "Charge your non-Tesla" menu in the application, select a specific station, and then select one of the charging piles to unlock the magic base at the top of the charging pile. After charging, the magic dock will be locked again, thus preventing the risk of theft of the magic dock.
If you need to check the exact number and location of charging stations, you can also find it in its application.For more information on how the charging app works for non-Tesla owners, see previous blogs.
This is a video of usage at the magic dock supercharging station in Brewster, New York. Take a look if you are interested.
By the way, not all EV owners can enjoy this charging benefit because the Tesla Supercharger stations are designed for Tesla's left rear charging port, some EV charging ports are in the front or front of the vehicle, and the cable length is not appropriate. Examples include the VW ID.4, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Ford F-150 Lightning.
Therefore Tesla also emphasizes that when some cables can't fit your EV, please don't stop charging in an inappropriate location so as not to interfere with other vehicles driving.
Generally speaking, Magic Dock has both advantages and disadvantages, which is normal. It does a good job of providing reliable power and an intuitive interface for charging your car quickly. Tesla's mobile app is responsive while providing clear instructions and images on how to use the charger effectively. On the bad side, due to the simple modification of Magic Dock, the structure of the Tesla Supercharger has not changed to a great extent, resulting in it being only friendly to vehicles with charging ports on the left rear or right front.
In addition, there are two charging methods for non-Tesla electric cars:
- Charge according to the real-time electricity prices. This way is a little more expensive than Tesla; after all, adding a new adapter will cost extra.
- Pay according to the use, plus a monthly membership fee of $ 12.99: This would make their charging cost the same as that of Tesla owners.
Certainly, in addition to going to the charging station, you have another choice which is installing a home charging station. Tesla's home charger, also known as a wall connector, provides a 24-foot-long cable with a maximum power of 48 amps. On a Model 3 (except the standard cruising range and Plus), Model S and Model Y, it charges your Tesla at a speed of 45 miles per hour, while on Model X, it charges at a speed of 33 miles per hour. On the official website, its price even dropped to 400 dollars. It has a series of benefits, including affordability, permanent use, convenience and power sharing, so if you travel frequently, have another Tesla at home and need a shared connector, or just want some permanent and beautiful decoration, Tesla's home charger is worth considering.
Although the charging experience in Supercharging station may not be as smooth as that of Tesla for non-Tesla owners, it is still a reliable and convenient choice. With the Chargerman Tesla to J1772 Adapter (Get $15 off coupon: TeslaToJ1772blog), you can use the Tesla 48A Wall Connector directly at home.
Tesla's boost network has been in operation for ten years, and it has proven to be one of the most reliable and convenient charging infrastructures that Tesla drivers can use. As Tesla continues to introduce Magic Dock to more charging stations, we expect that Tesla will reinvest its income in building more reliable and convenient charging stations and further optimizing the design of the stations and network. In addition, this initiative may also push other charging providers to improve the user experience of their fast-charging networks.
Nowadays, the demand for charging piles for new energy vehicles is on the rise, and global sales and ownership of new energy vehicles are growing rapidly. According to EV Tank data, the global sales volume of new energy vehicles will be 10.824 million in 2022. Combined with our forecast, the number of new energy vehicles in the world will exceed 25 million by the end of 2022. With the rapid growth of the number of new energy vehicles and the continuous upgrading of technology, the profitability of charging piles and stations is expected to develop rapidly.