EVgo has added Tesla connectors at many EVgo charging sites in DC, Maryland and Virginia.
Based on CHAdeMO Adapter Principle
Tesla drivers enjoy access to a vast network of Superchargers that enable them to travel long distances. Superchargers in urban areas also serve drivers that do not have access to charging at home or work. According to data from supercharge.info, there are more than 1,000 Supercharger stations currently open in the United States.
About six years ago, Tesla developed a CHAdeMO adapter and offered it for sale. The adapter, which now costs $450, was very useful in the earlier days of long distance EV travel before the Supercharger network filled out in all areas of the country. The maximum charging speed using the adapter is no more than 50 kW.
In the past six years, we’ve used the CHAdeMO adapter in parts of New England, Tidewater Virginia, Nebraska, “the Loneliest Road in America” in Nevada and elsewhere.
A very small percentage of Tesla drivers have the CHAdeMO adapter. Certainly less than 5%. This means that the thousands of DC Fast Chargers are not normally accessible to Tesla drivers. This is unfortunate because an overwhelming majority of all-electric cars sold to date are made by Tesla. This has created a situation where Tesla Superchargers have high utilization while CCS/CHAdeMO fast chargers in the same area — often built with public funding — get relatively little use. [See: Tesla vs Electrify America Usage]
Some EVgo Chargers Can Now Work with Teslas
The new Tesla-compatible EVgo stations seem to use a modified CHAdeMO adapter that is encased in a box that’s attached to the side of the charger cabinet. The receptacle in the charger that originally holstered the CHAdeMO connector has been modified to hold the more compact Tesla connector. The EVgo CHAdeMO is now holstered in what appears to be the receptacle of a Tesla-made CHAdeMO adapter. The same one that drivers can purchase from Tesla. However, the pigtail is about eight feet long instead of eight inches. This is a clever way to add Tesla charging capability to existing DC Fast Chargers with minimal retrofitting expense.
The EVgo Tesla charging capability opens up more options for Tesla drivers. Although not regular Supercharger speeds, which are 72-250 kW, the Tesla equipped EVgo stations are often located in shopping centers or other places that are convenient to Tesla drivers needing a quicker boost than they would get at a Level 2 station.
Washington, DC, Maryland & Virginia Locations with Tesla Connectors
Here are the EVgo charging stations with Tesla Connectors in the DMV as of June 7, 2021.
Washington, DC Location with Tesla Connectors
City Center DC (3)
Maryland Locations with Tesla Connectors
Ellicott City: Enchanted Forest Shopping Center (1)
Rockville: Pike and Rose Solar Garage (2)
Rockville: Woodley Gardens Shopping Center (1)
Bowie Town Center (2)
Waldorf: St. Charles Towne Center (2)
Olney Village Center (1)
Virginia Locations with Tesla Connectors
Springfield: Tower Shopping Center (2)
Tysons: Pike 7 Plaza (3)
Chantilly: Sheetz #304 (4)
Ashburn Village (2)
Centreville: Newgate Shopping Center (2)
Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (2)
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City (2)
Dulles Town Center (2)
Woodbridge: Stonebridge at PTC (2)
