A Tesla owner expressed frustration after a Ford F-150 Lightning truck occupied multiple spots at a Tesla Supercharger station. In response, the driver parked directly in front of the truck, limiting its access. The incident highlights ongoing tensions since Tesla opened its charging network to non-Tesla electric vehicles.
Ever since Tesla began allowing non-Tesla electric vehicles to use its Supercharger network, drivers have reported frustrations over parking and charging etiquette. A recent viral TikTok video captured one such clash at a Supercharger station, where a Ford F-150 Lightning truck was positioned across at least three charging terminals.
TikTok user Varun Patamalla, known as @varunpatamalla, documented the scene in two clips. In the first, he explained his usual tolerance for other EVs but voiced disbelief at the truck's placement. "I’m here at this Tesla Supercharger and I don’t usually get mad or irritated when other non-Tesla EVs use the charger because they usually park in a pretty good manner," Patamalla said. "Yeah, I get it, you take up a couple spots, you block a spot because you don’t have the charger in the right spot. But look at this... This is some… I’ve never seen this before."
In a follow-up video from inside his Tesla, Patamalla described his retaliation. "So, that Ford Lightning is blocking, like, all the spots pretty much on this side of the charger. So what I did was I parked right in front of it. And there’s another Tesla that’s over there. So, not my problem," he stated.
Online reactions varied. One commenter lamented the network's openness: "I hate to admit I wish Tesla didn’t get other cars to super chargers if they weren’t going to make the necessary mods to accommodate." Another pointed to design issues: "That’s because the Ford charging port is on the other side. Also, the Tesla’s charging wire is too short." A more aggressive response suggested: "Yeah they’d have a flat tire."
Similar complaints appear in forums like Tesla Motors Club, where one user noted: "I find myself mentally flipping off non-Tesla vehicles at Tesla charging stations, especially when it’s busy... each vehicle that does this is eating up two charging stations."
These issues stem partly from Tesla's older Superchargers, which have cables around 6 feet long. However, Tesla announced in November 2024 that its V4 Superchargers feature longer cables, over 9.8 feet, to better accommodate various EVs. For older stations, adapters like NACS to CCS1 extension cables—priced at $629 for 5 feet and $729 for 8 feet—offer a workaround. InsideEVs has contacted Tesla and Patamalla for additional comments.
