Tesla expands non-Tesla Superchargers to Texas and adds kWh billing in Canada
Tesla
After a few months of uncertainty, Tesla has reignited its efforts to make Supercharging accessible to a wider range of electric vehicles. The company has restarted the deployment of its unique "Magic Dock" adapter at Supercharger stations, with a recent sighting in Texas.
Earlier this year, Tesla unveiled the Magic Dock - an adapter that allows non-Tesla EVs to utilize the Supercharger network. It was introduced at select Supercharger stations in New York and California but saw a sudden halt in its deployment. The assumption was that Tesla paused the Magic Dock rollout due to its ongoing discussions with other automakers regarding adopting the North American Charging Standard.
A Paradigm Shift in Supercharging Billing in Canada
Tesla has also made a major transformation in the Supercharging experience for Canadian customers. After several regulatory hurdles, Tesla has finally switched to kilowatt-hour (kWh) billing for Supercharging across Canada. This substantial shift means that customers will now be billed based on the electricity their vehicles consume, not the amount of time they spend charging.
The decision to change the billing method came after Measurement Canada granted a temporary dispensation in February 2023, permitting charging providers to invoice customers per kWh. Despite the initial hurdles and delays due to the complex approval process, especially for providers with expansive charging networks like Tesla, the long-awaited shift finally became a reality.
Tesla owners across Canada can now benefit from the more transparent, kWh-based billing system. While the rates vary, the slowest 72kW Urban Superchargers cost under $0.30/kWh, with the rates for V2 (150kW) and V3 (250kW) stations fluctuating around $0.47-$0.48 CAD per kWh.
Implications and The Path Forward
Tesla's recent strides in Supercharging underscore the company's commitment to its customers and the broader EV community. The reintroduction of the Magic Dock represents a major step towards broadening the inclusivity of Tesla's Supercharger network, offering non-Tesla EV owners more flexibility in charging options.
Moreover, switching to kWh-based billing in Canada is a significant move towards greater transparency and fairness. It rectifies the previous time-based system that inadvertently penalized drivers of slower-charging EVs, who paid the same amount as faster-charging vehicles but received less electricity.
As Tesla continues to innovate and evolve its Supercharging infrastructure, these latest developments underline its dedication to enhancing the EV charging experience for all users. This dynamic approach benefits Tesla owners and contributes significantly to the growth of the global EV ecosystem.
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Rendering of what Tesla's license plate feature could look like
Not a Tesla App
Tesla update 2024.38 has started rolling out to several regions and vehicles. Thanks to Tesla hacker Greentheonly, we have a behind-the-scenes look at some new features coming to Teslas.
License Plate Display
According to Greentheonly, it looks like Tesla may soon let you display your actual license plate in the vehicle’s visualization on the screen. In our article, The Most Request Tesla Features, several readers suggested displaying the vehicle’s license plate in the visualization instead of a blank, white plate.
It looks like Tesla will be doing just that, at least in China. Green found references that appear to conclude that you’ll be able to display your vehicle’s plate on screen. This will likely be user input, so you could have it say anything you’d like, and it doesn’t have to be your actual license plate.
For many owners, who may find it difficult to remember their license plate, this could serve a practical purpose in addition to adding to the visualization's realism.
While Green was only able to say it’ll be available in China, we expect this is due to China’s software development team working on it and that it’ll eventually be released worldwide.
While code for this feature was found in update 2024.38, we may not be turned on in China yet. We suspect this feature may be a strong candidate for Tesla’s upcoming holiday update.
FSD Hardware Version Display
As part of the 2024.38 update, Tesla has now made it easy to determine whether your vehicle includes Hardware 3 or Hardware 4. You can now simply navigate to Controls > Software and tap Additional Vehicle Information. In addition to other hardware information about your vehicle, your Autopilot hardware version will now be listed as well.
You can see whether your vehicle has HW2.5, HW3, or AI4. This in-car display is useful, but if you don’t have access to the vehicle, you can always use our guide on how to determine the hardware version of a Tesla.
New Battery Health Test & Service Mode Improvements
Green found some additional things as well. There’s a new and improved Battery Health Test. The new test will show you how your car scores compared to similar vehicles in the Tesla fleet.
In addition, maintenance records can now be permanently stored “in the car.” It doesn’t appear that this feature is activated yet, but it’s likely in active development with some parts leaking out in the 2024.38 update.
Tesla has included various Service Mode improvements and new visualizations in this update.
Mr Li on X came across some covered-up Project Juniper vehicles recently and he managed to get various shots of the vehicle.
Juniper Images
This front image reveals what looks like two rows of lights, possibly confirming the front light bar for the Model Y refresh — similar to the one on the Cybercab.
The rear side has a lot of lights on it!
Mr Li on X
The rear side shows a ton of brake lights, but it’s not clear why. While it looks like the Model Y refresh will also feature a rear light bar similar to the Cybertruck, there isn’t strong evidence of that in this photo.
Mr Li on X
There's an obvious set of lights at the bottom, so it looks like the Model Y refresh will be similar to the new Model 3 where the bottom lights can operate as brake lights when the one-piece tail lights and trunk are up.
Mr Li on X
In the last photo, we see that the overall form factor of the refreshed Model Y will remain unchanged, and Tesla is focusing the changes on the front and rear ends of the vehicle, much like the Model 3 refresh. However, in this one shot, we can also see what appears to be red light leaking out of the rear camera cover opening, possibly due to the rear light bar.
The Model Y is not only Tesla’s best-selling vehicle but also the world’s best-selling car in 2023. This year, it’s expected to be the best-selling vehicle in the United States and again in the world, so this refresh will be huge for Tesla.
@DominicBRNKMN made another fantastic set of concepts based on these new images. Given he had the most accurate Model 3 Highland concept before the official launch, we’re pretty sure his latest work be close here as well.
@DominicBRNKMN
We’re super excited to see the eventual reveal of Project Juniper, which is expected in the first half of 2025. However, expect to see a few more leaks before production kicks off at Giga Shanghai.
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