CR plugged in EVs from Ford, Kia, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, and Rivian at Tesla Superchargers. Here’s what we found.
By Jon Linkov, Jeff S. Bartlett, Alex Knizek, Keith Barry
Up until recently, the vast network of more than 1,600 Tesla Supercharger fast EV charging stations in the U.S. was a perk exclusive to Tesla owners. While owners of other electric vehicles had to rely on a patchwork of finicky chargers and payment apps, topping off a Tesla was convenient, seamless, and relatively quick.
But that’s changing. In 2023, Tesla announced that it was opening up much of its charging network to owners of non-Tesla EVs, a move that would help the automaker qualify for a slice of the $7.5 billion earmarked for EV charging network expansion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
About a hundred Supercharger stations now provide Magic Dock adapters that allow most EVs from other brands with Combined Charing Standard (CCS) outlets to plug in to chargers that use Tesla’s unique North American Charging Standard (NACS). Most of these are located near major cities or in the northeastern U.S., and you can find them on Tesla’s map of chargers listed as “Superchargers Open to Other EVs.”
Other EV manufacturers have released portable NACS adapters that drivers can carry with them; these work at any station on Tesla’s map listed as “Superchargers Open to NACS.” Most future EV models from all brands will come standard with built-in NACS outlets, starting with the 2025 model year.
We have now tried both setups on multiple vehicles at several charging stations. Here’s what we found:
• In many ways, it’s now almost as easy to charge some other EVs at a Supercharger as it is to charge a Tesla. You only have to enter your payment details in your vehicle’s app once. Then you can use the vehicle’s app, built-in navigation system, or the Tesla app to find an open Supercharger and simply plug in and start charging. There’s no fumbling with apps or swiping credit cards.
• Where the process quite literally falls short is in a physical sense: Most current Supercharger cables are only 6.5 feet long. This isn’t an issue for Tesla vehicles, which all have their charging ports in the same place on the rear of the vehicle. However, to reach the charging ports on some EVs from other brands, drivers may need to park awkwardly—sometimes pulling up extremely close to the Supercharger or even blocking adjacent spaces.
As with many other EVs, charging the Rivian requires parking one space over from the corresponding Supercharger.
Photo: Mike Crossen/Consumer Reports
• As you can imagine, this can create a frustrating scenario for other EV drivers who are waiting to charge, watching an otherwise-open Supercharger go unused only because it’s physically inaccessible. Even worse: Although the Tesla app will tell drivers how many spaces are free at any given Supercharger station, it doesn’t take into account spaces blocked by non-Tesla EVs. As a result, drivers may route to a station expecting to charge immediately only to find a Ford or a Kia blocking access to an otherwise-open Supercharger.
On its website, Tesla says that its next-generation V4 Superchargers will alleviate this issue with longer cords, and recommends that drivers “avoid parking diagonally to reach the cable and try to obstruct as few charge posts as possible.” (Tesla dissolved its media relations department in 2020 and did not respond to our questions about Superchargers.) At the same time, other charging networks, including Electrify America and the nascent Ionna, say they will begin including NACS plugs at their new and existing charging stations. Tesla drivers still have broader access to Superchargers where owners of other vehicles are not yet able to charge.
• Charging a non-Tesla with a Supercharger is currently one of the most expensive fast-charging options per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Locations near CR’s Auto Test Center in Connecticut tend to cost about 53 cents per kWh, while locations with Magic Docks tend to cost around 55 cents per kWh. That’s similar to Electrify America, which charges 56 cents per kWh without a monthly subscription. Idle fees, which are charged if the car is left alone at the charger after being fully charged, are $1 per minute. Tesla says that Tesla owners get a lower rate at a Supercharger, while non-Tesla owners will pay Tesla rates if they pay $13 per month for a Supercharging Membership.
Below, we share more details of our experiences using adapters on vehicles from Ford and Rivian, and plugging in cars from Kia, Lucid, and Mercedes-Benz at one of the comparatively few Magic Dock-equipped Superchargers.
We’ve written about our experiences in greater detail below.
At Magic Dock-equipped Superchargers, the existing Tesla charging plug stores inside the dock.
Photo: David Abrams/Consumer Reports
What We Did
Once the factory-provided NACS adapters we ordered from Ford and Rivian arrived in September 2024, CR lead automotive technician Michael Crossen tested our Rivian R1S and our Ford F-150 at a Tesla Supercharger station in New London, Conn. Automotive engineers Kassidy Simpson, John Williams, and Avri Wyshogrod, and senior autos writer Keith Barry also charged the same vehicles at the same station.
In 2023, Alex Knizek, now associate director of auto test development at Consumer Reports, tried out the Magic Dock Superchargers at two locations, first with a Lucid Air and then, later that week at a different station, with a Kia EV6. Jon Linkov, CR’s cars deputy editor, joined him at the second station with a Mercedes-Benz EQE.
To get the seamless “plug and charge” experience that Tesla owners have come to expect, drivers of vehicles from other brands must first download a smartphone app and enter their payment details. This allows the Supercharger to automatically recognize the vehicle, authorize payment, and start charging.
To use a Supercharger with a Magic Dock, non-Tesla owners first need to download the Tesla App for iOS or Android, create a profile, and add a payment method. We already have an account set up to charge any Tesla in our test fleets. Non-Tesla owners should remember that there aren’t many Superchargers equipped with the Magic Dock—at least not yet. Note that the Nissan Leaf cannot charge at a Supercharger because it uses an incompatible plug standard known as CHAdeMO.
Plugging and unplugging a Tesla charger into a CCS adapter requires two hands.
Photo: Ford
Rivian NACS Adapter Experience
Location: Tesla Supercharger, New London, Conn.
Distance from Auto Test Center: 24 miles
Charging fee: $0.53/kWh
Our Rivian and Ford NACS adapters arrived the same week. According to Crossen, they appear to be identical—the New York Times reported that they’re built at Tesla’s factory in Buffalo, N.Y.
The adapters themselves fit snugly onto the end of the Tesla charging cord. To remove the Tesla cord from the adapter, users must awkwardly pull down on a tab located below where the cord fits in—a process that requires one hand to hold the adapter and another to hold the cord while pulling down on the tab.
To find an available Supercharger, we had to adjust the filters on Rivian’s infotainment system so they’d show up on the list of usable charging stations.
The Rivian’s charging port is on its front driver’s-side fender, which means drivers must park one space to the right of a Tesla Supercharger for the cord to fit. This meant we couldn’t use either of the two charging stations that were open when we arrived at the Supercharger. Although the rightmost charger at the New London Supercharger station has a regular parking spot next to it, that charger was occupied. Once that Tesla driver left, we took advantage of the space so we didn’t block any other users unnecessarily.
Make sure you enter your payment information into your car’s app or you won’t be able to plug and charge.
Photo: Mike Crossen/Consumer Reports
The first time we tried to plug in, we hadn’t properly entered our payment information into the Rivian app, and tried to use the Rivian and Tesla apps to initiate a charge. This led to a charging error. After a quick fix in the Rivian app, the process was plug-and-play, just as easy as it would’ve been in a Model S or Model 3.
Our R1S’ battery was about 80 percent full, so we weren’t surprised when we saw charging speeds of around 65 kW—about 2 miles per minute of charging. However, many other Rivian owners report initial charging speeds between 150 and 200 kW (around 6 miles per minute) that slow down as the battery’s state of charge increases past 50 percent. The R1S’ maximum acceptance rate is 220 kW, which is only slightly lower than a Supercharger’s maximum charge rate of 250 kW.
Plugging in the Ford F-150 Lightning required getting very close to the bollards in the parking space adjacent to the Supercharger.
Photo: Keith Barry/Consumer Reports
Ford F-150 Lighting NACS Adapter Experience
Location: Tesla Supercharger, New London, Conn.
Distance from Auto Test Center: 24 miles
Charging fee: $0.53/kWh
After our experience with the Rivian, we double-checked to make sure the FordPass app had our billing information properly installed. We’re glad we did because those of us with Verizon didn’t have good enough phone service at the Supercharger to make any changes.
Searching for Superchargers on our F-150 Lightning’s built-in infotainment system was easy—it showed us which chargers were available, although it didn’t tell us whether any of them were usable for the Ford, which also has a charging port on the front of the driver-side fender.
Even though there weren’t any vehicles parked at the Supercharger station when we arrived, parking was quite a challenge. That’s because the F-150’s longer front end forced us to pull up within a few inches of a yellow metal bollard (which someone had previously drawn a face on) in order for the cord to reach. Because EVs don’t “creep” forward like conventional gas-powered cars with automatic transmissions, getting that close without damaging the bumper required carefully using both feet to simultaneously ride the brake while feathering the throttle, focusing on the front camera while the front parking sensor alarms screamed at us.
Even parked as closely as possible, the Supercharger cord was stretched as far as it could go.
Photo: Keith Barry/Consumer Reports
Once we were situated, we ignored the “Activate” button on the Lightning’s screen and simply removed the cord from the Tesla Supercharger station, plugged it into the NACS adapter, and plugged the whole assembly into the car, where it immediately started working.
The Lightning, which was about 70 percent charged, filled up at a charging rate between 120 and 130 kW, which equates to a little less than 5 miles per minute—not bad, considering that our Lightning’s maximum charging acceptance rate is 150 kW.
When charging was done, Keith erroneously tried to remove the Tesla cord the same way he would have done with a Tesla—by pressing a touch-sensitive button on top of the cord handle, which caused him a moment of panic when it wouldn’t release. Then he remembered that he had to detach the adapter using the same two-handed tab-release maneuver as with the Rivian. It came apart, and charging was complete. Luckily, there were no Tesla drivers waiting for the free spot.
Supercharger customers unlock and remove the Magic Dock plug adapter via the Tesla mobile phone app.
Photo: Alex Knizek/Consumer Reports
Lucid Air Experience
Location: Stewart’s Gas Station, Ballston Spa, N.Y.
Distance from Auto Test Center: 170 miles
Charging fee: $0.49/kWh
Alex was the first CR staffer to try out the Magic Dock. He charged up our Lucid Air at a Supercharger located behind a Stewart’s Shops in Ballston Spa, N.Y., near Saratoga Springs. (Stewart’s Shops is a New York-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations that usually has food, outdoor seating, bathrooms, and other comforts.) “It isn’t really a terrible spot to wait, in my opinion,” he says.
Each charging station has a sign with a QR code on it, which takes users to a page that explains how to charge a non-Tesla. And each station had a Magic Dock, so EV drivers could charge at any location.
But the Supercharger’s short cord (shown below) and the location of the Lucid’s charge port (between the driver’s door and front wheel) presented some challenges.
The short cord and the Lucid Air’s charge port location made it a challenge to plug in.
Photo: Alex Knizek/Consumer Reports
“Initially I parked normally, just pulling up to the charger, but the cord did not reach at all,” Alex recounted. “I got back in and inched the car forward, nearly touching the large bollard that was located in front of the charger to protect it. Having my dad there to tell me when to stop was the only way to get close enough.”
Even then, the cord was so taut that he was concerned he would break the Lucid’s charge port. He eventually performed a major charging faux pas by parking parallel to the charger and blocking access to two other chargers (shown below). Fortunately, no other drivers in need of a charge pulled up while Alex was there.
Tesla acknowledges this on its FAQ, saying, “Certain Supercharger site layouts may not be suitable for some cars. Please do not obstruct other cars by parking over the lines if the cable cannot comfortably reach your car.”
CR’s Alex Knizek eventually had to parallel park alongside three chargers to comfortably connect the Lucid Air.
Photo: Alex Knizek/Consumer Reports
After finally plugging in, the system worked without any hiccups. But it wasn’t nearly as fast as a Tesla could charge.
“I was limited to 49 kW on all charge attempts, both with and without preconditioning the battery,” Alex says. “I suspect this is a result of Lucid’s 900-volt charging system, which can only accept 50 kW from older, legacy 400-volt charging networks.” Lucid claims that under ideal conditions, the Air can add 200 miles of range in about 12 minutes of charging. It would have taken well over an hour to add the same amount of range at that 49-kW rate.
Most current DC fast chargers are 800- to 1,000-volt systems, and are more compatible with the Lucid, while Tesla’s current Superchargers output around 500V. Although more super-high-voltage cars like the Lucid will come in the future, most EVs currently for sale and on the road are based on 400-volt systems, and their charging rate on a Tesla Supercharger should be similar to what they would get on other charging networks.
Our Lucid Air connected to the Tesla Supercharger. It would gain roughly 3 miles of range per minute of charging.
Photo: Alex Knizek/Consumer Reports
Mercedes-Benz EQE and Kia EV6 Experience
Location: 1 Starr Ridge Road, Brewster, N.Y.
Distance from Auto Test Center: 79 miles
Charging fee: $0.49/kWh
Located near the junction of Interstates 84 and 684, this Supercharger sat behind a small shopping center with a Dunkin’ and a Sherwin-Williams paint store. There was only a gas station within walking distance, and drivers charging late at night could feel isolated, especially after the Dunkin’ closed.
Our experience getting hooked up mirrored what Alex experienced with the Lucid Air. Both the EV6 and EQE have their charge ports on the passenger-side rear, and they’re fairly close to the back of the car. But because the Supercharger cables are oriented on the right side of the charger and too short to reach the ports on the left side of the car, we had to park in the next space over rather than the one that corresponded to the charger. For example, to use charging station 1A you have to park in the space for station 1B—to the right of 1A—in order for the cable to reach. This effectively blocks 1B from being used by any Tesla, though a non-Tesla can potentially use it . . . by parking in space 1C.
The EV6 Alex drove would not charge on the first station he hooked up to. There were no issues accessing the charge plug and connecting to the car. We heard a series of clicks and other noises as the charging station and the car’s onboard charger communicated. The EV6 even made its standard “charging started” announcement. But within about 30 seconds a fault would appear on the app, and charging would stop.
This happened a few times, so we moved the car to a different charging station, which worked flawlessly. The Mercedes-Benz that Jon was driving also connected without any problem and began charging on the first attempt.
We brought the EV6 because, like the Lucid, it uses a higher voltage electrical architecture that enables some of the fastest charging speeds available when connected to a 350-kW charger (like those from Electrify America). But we saw a max of 40 kW when connected to the Supercharger. The EQE, which charges at a similar voltage to a Tesla, reached a rate of 76 kW.
These chargers are capable of charging a Tesla at a rate of up to 250 kW, which the automaker claims can add 75 miles of charge in 5 minutes and charge at rates of up to 1,000 miles per hour. This would equate to giving our EQE about 16 miles of range for every 5 minutes of charging time, or just over 190 miles in an hour.
CR’s Mercedes-Benz EQE charging at a Tesla Supercharger.
Photo: David Abrams/Consumer Reports
A Tesla Owner’s Perspective
Up until now, Tesla owners in the U.S. and Canada had access to a proprietary charging infrastructure that was sleek and seamless. Owners can locate and drive to a Supercharger using the in-car navigation system. Upon arrival and plugging in, the Tesla charging station communicates with the car and, if applicable, charges the owner’s account for the session. It is truly a plug-and-play system for Tesla owners.
But now, the doors to this private club have been flung open.
Scotty Olson, an EV enthusiast from New Jersey, drove more than 180 miles round-trip with his wife to try out the Magic Dock in Brewster, the closest to their home. As the owner of both a Tesla Model 3 and a Volkswagen ID.4, he says he can see both advantages and disadvantages to the rollout of the Magic Docks.
“As an ID.4 owner, the Magic Dock makes the charging experience so much better,” Olson says. “It’s a great way to drive EV adoption. The No. 1 thing I hear from people considering an EV is worrying about where they are going to charge. It’s exciting that the biggest maker of chargers is opening up their chargers, and that excuse goes out the window.”
Even though it took him two attempts to get a charging station to connect to his ID.4, Scotty says that his experience with Superchargers overall has been very good. “If I pull up to an Electrify America station and they’re all working, I’m surprised,” he says. “It seems as if one is always down. It’s pretty rare to find even one Tesla Supercharger that isn’t working even in a location with 12 stalls. I would choose a Magic Dock charger over Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint, and others because of the reliability factor.”
He was slightly less enthusiastic when wearing his Tesla-owner hat: “I’m not looking forward to non-Tesla owners taking up two spaces when they are trying to charge,” he says.
CR’s Take
As already noted, the Magic Dock charging speeds we experienced were not particularly fast; the short charging cables are an inconvenience, and, for now, at least, the nearest Magic Dock-equipped Supercharger may be more than a full charge away.
However, if you need a charge and your route takes you past one of the Magic Docks, it’s now another option—one that’s well-maintained and in working order: According to a 2022 survey conducted by J.D. Power, both Tesla Destination chargers and Superchargers rank highest in terms of customer satisfaction.
The same can’t always be said for other public charging options. In the J.D. Power survey, of the respondents who didn’t charge their vehicle during a visit to a public charging station, 72 percent indicated it was because the station was out of service or it malfunctioned. And anecdotal evidence from CR staff members’ experiences using public chargers confirms this.
“Almost every time at least one stall is broken or malfunctioning,” Alex says. “Or the charger handles are broken. It once took me 30 minutes in the back of a dark, snowy parking lot in Albany to get an EVgo charger to work.”
CR auto technician Michael Crossen says he has had many similar experiences. “I was in Auburn, Mass., at an Electrify America station, and it was 12° F out and snowing,” he says. “One charger was dark and not operational when I got there. I had to try three different chargers before one would connect to our ID.4.”
And at a local EVgo charger, he was never able to get more than 30 kW in a charging session with our Polestar 2, even though it was supposedly a 50-kW charger.
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