Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model X to get CCS fast-charging support

After years of speculation, Tesla has confirmed that European versions of Model 3 will be equipped with new plug adapters that will allow drivers to refill their car’s battery using third-party chargers.

The announcement will be good news for owners of Tesla cars. Under the current system, Tesla drivers have to track down Tesla Supercharger stations to charge their car, or use slower plug-in adapters at home, according to the EV news site Electrek.

Drivers will now be able to tap into a growing number of third-party chargers, but Electrek says owners will have to buy an expensive adaptor that has limitations and “isn’t yet compatible with Model 3.”

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All that’s about to change. From next year onwards, new Model 3s sold in Europe will be equipped with ports compatible with Combined Charging System (CCS) fast-chargers, Auto Express reports.

Sockets compatible with CCS chargers will be built into Model 3s from next year on and owners of Tesla’s older cars (the Model S saloon and Model X SUV) will be able to buy an adapter, says the magazine.

In an interview with Auto Express, Drew Bennett, Tesla’s global charging infrastructure chief, said: “There’s a lot of excitement about Model 3 coming to Europe and charging is always part of that conversation.

“All existing Tesla customers will be able to use the Supercharger network still, but these changes will allow people to venture outside the network.”

The news comes after Tesla announced that the Model 3, which launched in the US last summer, is on course to arrive in European showrooms today.

CleanTechnica, the electric car website, claims that dealerships in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Sweden have received email notifications that the budget EV will be stocked from 14 November.

We don’t yet know when showrooms in Britain will be selling Model 3s and UK prices aren’t expected to be announced until early next year.