Tesla launches home charging station that works with other electric cars

Tesla has launched a home charging station, or Wall Connector as it calls it, that works with other electric cars and not just Tesla vehicles.

Unlike all other electric automakers, Tesla uses its own proprietary connector for vehicles produced for the North American market. This means the company’s charging network and products, like home chargers, only work with its own electric vehicles.

Tesla’s design has been praised for being much easier to handle and more efficient than the CCS/J1772 standard that has been adopted by the rest of the industry.

Earlier this year, there even was an effort to make Tesla’s connector the new standard, but it looks to have been in vain.

Tesla has been leaning toward opening up its own charging network and products to electric vehicles from other automakers.

The company has been indicating that it will add CCS connectors to Supercharger stations in North America like it already did in Europe.

Last year, Tesla even briefly launched a new version of its home charging station, the Wall Connector, with a J1772 connector instead of its own. It meant that the charger was geared toward non-Tesla EV buyers.

However, the product didn’t stay available for long.

Now, Tesla has launched a brand new version of its J1772 Wall Connector for $550 on its website:

Our J1772 Wall Connector is a convenient charging solution for Tesla and non-Tesla electric vehicles alike, and is ideal for houses, apartments, hospitality properties and workplaces.

Here are a few pictures of the new Tesla Wall Connector:

Based on Tesla’s description, it looks like the automaker might be going after the commercial charging market:

If you are a developer, manager or owner of commercial real estate and interested in purchasing more than 12 J1772 Wall Connectors, visit Commercial Charging.

But at a price of $550, it is extremely competitive with any home charging station on the market, especially when you consider the power-sharing and connectivity features:

With up to 44 miles of range added per hour, a 24-foot cable, multiple power settings and a versatile indoor/outdoor design, J1772 Wall Connector provides unparalleled convenience. It can also power-share to maximize existing electrical capacity, automatically distributing power and allowing you to charge multiple vehicles simultaneously.

Tesla’s own vehicles can also use the station, but they will need to use an adapter that comes with the vehicle.

Otherwise, Tesla owners will have to use Tesla’s original Wall Connector, which is equipped with the Tesla proprietary plug and is cheaper at $400.

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.