Can You Charge a Bolt at a Tesla station?

Answer: Yes, you can charge my Chevy Bolt at a Tesla Charging Station, but there are some restrictions.

You will need to buy an adaptor first. A Tesla to J1772 adapter will allow you to achieve this. You can connect your EV to any Tesla charger using the Tesla to J1772 adapter (except the supercharger). Also, when I have a Tesla to J1772 adapter, it gives me access to the tens of thousands of Tesla Destination Chargers.

Chevrolet’s Bolt, also known as the Chevrolet Bolt EV, is a five-door, all-electric subcompact hatchback with a front-mounted powertrain marketed by Chevrolet. The Bolt EV’s lithium-ion battery pack has a capacity of 60.0-kWh.  LG Corporation collaborated on its development and production. 

What is a Tesla Charging Station? Tesla has a large network of electric vehicle charging stations. Superchargers and Destination Chargers are the two types of public Tesla charging facilities. Tesla’s high-capacity superchargers can only be used by Tesla vehicles, and there are no adapters available to let me use one if my EV is not a Tesla. Although the charging speed of Destination Chargers is slower than that of Superchargers, a destination Charger can take anywhere from one to 12 hours to fully power a Tesla depending on how much charge remained in the battery.

So you can use a Tesla charging station to charge your Chevy Bolt but you cannot just plug my electric vehicle in because the Tesla Charging Port and the Bolt Port are two different things. However, there is no difference in the protocols down to the last detail. You can charge a Tesla from a CCS charger with an adaptor, and a Bolt could also charge from a Tesla station.

The Tesla destination chargers are similar to other destination chargers, however, they are frequently three-phase, providing a charging boost. They may also load share, which means that a charger will deliver as much power as it can, but if two chargers are in use, the power supply will be split to allow both cars to charge. They are also attached, so there is no need for a wire. Tesla Destination Chargers are Tesla Wall Connectors found in supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, parks, and other locations where you might want to go, and if you rely on the charger, you should call ahead to check availability; many places require you use their facilities in exchange for charging, but some may offer it for free. Some sites have J1772 charging stations in addition to the Tesla Wall Connectors, so there is no need for you to take an adaptor there, but many don’t.

You cannot use the charge cord included with my Chevy Bolt to charge at a “Tesla Station” (a 240v L2 and not a Supercharger). To connect my Chevy Bolt to the Tesla station, you will need an adaptor that suits the Tesla station’s plug. With the 120v charger that comes with my Chevy Bolt, you cannot use it to charge at a Tesla charger. You can only use it anyplace there is an active 120v plug, such as in my home. However, if you buy one of these adapters and ensure you gain permission from the property owner to use it, you may be allowed to charge at a Tesla destination station which is nothing more than 240V L2 EVSEs located at places like motels, shopping malls, and hotels. They are normally free to use, but they are mainly reserved for establishment clients and ostensibly for Teslas only.

To conclude, you cannot use the charging cord that is included with my Chevy Bolt to charge at a Tesla Station (a 240v L2 and not a Supercharger). To connect my Chevy Bolt to the Tesla station, you will need an adaptor that suits the Tesla station’s plug.