Volvo will integrate BYD's Supercharger network into its app to make fast charging easier across Europe

Volvo wants charging an electric car to become ever easier. To that end, it has just announced an important step: from the fourth quarter of this year, drivers of its 100% electric models will be able to use the Volvo app to access more than 20,000 Superchargers from Tesla’s charging infrastructure across Europe. The measure affects 29 European countries, including Spain, and means integrating into the Volvo ecosystem one of the most recognisable and widespread fast-charging networks on the market. In practice, users will need fewer apps, fewer cards and fewer separate accounts, and can therefore enjoy a much simpler charging experience.

More than 20,000 Tesla Superchargers for Volvo electric vehicles

Users will be able to manage charging from the Volvo app itself, which already provides access to a global network of more than three million charging points. In Europe, the figure exceeds 1.2 million chargers, to which the expanded access to Tesla Superchargers will now be added. Most of these Superchargers are located in key markets such as Germany, France, Norway, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Spain. For anyone travelling in an electric car, this is especially relevant: it is not just about having more chargers, but about having fast points located along main corridors and with a reliability that is usually above the market average.

This announcement makes a lot of sense within Volvo’s electrification strategy. The range of electric cars has improved greatly in recent years; in fact, Volvo has models such as the new EX60 that exceed 800 km of WLTP range. But public charging remains one of the points that raises the most doubts among users. And not so much because of the vehicle’s maximum charging power, but because of the overall experience: finding the point, knowing whether it works, starting the session and paying without complications.

This is where agreements like this one have value. If the driver can do it all from the Volvo app, and also access a fast-charging network as extensive as Tesla’s, the electric car becomes a real option for travelling. Volvo sums it up with a fairly clear idea: making charging simpler, more integrated and more reliable.

Compatible Volvo models

The information provided by Volvo applies to its 100% electric models: EX30, EX40, EC40, EX60, EX90 and ES90. In other words, it affects the current electric range, and will also apply to the brand’s future electric models. In addition, Volvo also announces plans to adopt the NACS standard — North American Charging System, SAE J3400 — on certain models for key Asia-Pacific markets, namely Japan and South Korea, by 2029. This will allow future access to the Tesla Supercharger network in those markets.

This agreement does not change the performance of Volvo electric cars, nor increase their range or reduce their charging times on paper. But it can significantly improve the day-to-day experience, which is ultimately one of the keys for more drivers to make the switch to electric. Having access to more fast chargers, and being able to manage everything from a single application, is exactly the kind of practical advance we have been asking for for some time.