I’m a Chevy Bolt owner, and I can’t believe Superchargers work this well

FIrst attempt at straight-on charging from a designated Tesla spot. You can see how that plug is never, ever going to reach the charging port (just ahead of the side mirror).

Kevin Purdy

FIrst attempt at straight-on charging from a designated Tesla spot. You can see how that plug is never, ever going to reach the charging port (just ahead of the side mirror).

Kevin Purdy

The A2Z Typhoon Pro adapter. Both of its CCS and NACS latches feel more sturdy than most of the EV charging plugs I’ve used.

Kevin Purdy

The A2Z Typhoon Pro adapter. Both of its CCS and NACS latches feel more sturdy than most of the EV charging plugs I’ve used.

Kevin Purdy

Proof of Tesla-to-GM life.

Kevin Purdy

Proof of Tesla-to-GM life.

Kevin Purdy

The A2Z Typhoon Pro adapter. Both of its CCS and NACS latches feel more sturdy than most of the EV charging plugs I’ve used.

Kevin Purdy

Proof of Tesla-to-GM life.

Kevin Purdy

From right, a Tesla, a sideways Bolt, and a gas-powered car that just, I dunno, really needed to avoid an extra 4 feet of walking for their iced coffee.

Kevin Purdy

At a second Tesla Supercharger, most spots were empty, so I could pull off a more simple off-by-one charging/parking alignment.

Kevin Purdy

The proof is in the plugging

This kind of thinking spurred me to try some Tesla charging on the way back. I bought an A2Z Typhoon Pro adapter, based on its solid reviews and fast shipping. It also cost notably less than GM’s $225 charger after a coupon code, the GM model was backordered into November, and Chevrolet’s app suggested I’d have to pick it up at a dealer. Before I could use any adapter, though, I had to find a spot. The spots are the hard part.

At my first stop, a Wawa, every other spot out of eight total was taken, and the one stall that lined up to the side of the car was occupied by a family that told me they would be there 50 minutes. I pulled up in an empty space, tried to stretch its cable, but it wasn’t even close. I pulled away, parked, and started looking for my next stop. Soon after, the father of the 50-minute family appeared in my window. I steeled myself for some kind of lecture, teasing, or maybe political discourse.

“You know, you could actually pull up, like, sideways, behind those plugs, and I think it would work,” the father said. He was right; there was nothing behind these Supercharger stations but more parking, and it was empty. I pulled up, plugged in the adapter (quick review: rock solid), pulled over the cord, opened the app, selected the station and charger number, and tapped. Less than 30 seconds later, the juice was flowing. No screens or two plugs sharing one power source, just power.

My wife and I went inside and ordered iced coffees and portable breakfasts from a touchscreen. I kept checking the Tesla app out of nervous habit, but current kept moving as expected. My concerns about being the weirdo with a Bolt doing a slant-charge were allayed by walking out to see a gas-powered car parked right in front of a charger, despite a proliferation of other parking nearby (including where my Bolt was).