Tesla will open its charging network to other car manufacturers later this year, the firm’s boss has confirmed.
The Supercharger network is currently only compatible with Tesla vehicles, leading to huge frustration among motorists.
The network was one of the early pioneers of public charging infrastructure, with locations popping up at high traffic hubs across the country.
The locations give Tesla owners a better opportunity to drive long distances.
However, as the superchargers only work with Tesla vehicles, it can mean queues for other public chargers while Tesla’s units sit unused nearby.
In a tweet, Elon Musk confirmed that this would no longer be the case.
Responding to a Twitter user who said people shouldn’t criticise Tesla for using a proprietary charging connector, Musk wrote: ‘We created our own connector, as there was no standard back then & Tesla was [the] only maker of long range electric cars.
‘It’s one fairly slim connector for both low & high power charging.
‘That said, we’re making our Supercharger network open to other EVs later this year.’
It is not known what has motivated the change of heart and whether it will apply to all markets that have Superchargers.
However, experts believe that billing non-Tesla owners for electricity would be a good opportunity to create extra revenue.
Owners of earlier Tesla models were given free access to the Supercharger network, while buyers of newer cars can pay a premium up front to get free charging.
There are currently more than 2,500 Supercharger stations in Europe and the Middle East, with dozens in the UK and many more under construction.