Tesla has announced that it's expanding a pilot programme that will allow drivers of other EV brands in the UK and Europe to take advantage of its Supercharger network of fast-charging points.

New countries included in the expanded test are Austria, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and the UK, each getting a handful of stations that will be opened up to wider use. In the UK it's 15 locations totally 158 chargers.

The system will require owners of other electric vehicles (EVs) to have the Tesla app on their smartphone in order to access the charger, but should let them charge up regardless of their own choice of brand.

To mitigate the risk of annoying Tesla owners who'll discover that their charging stations might be busier than previously now that they're open, Tesla is guaranteeing lower pricing for owners of its own cars.

Rates for other vehicles will vary from site to site, apparently, meaning we don't have a clear pricing structure to refer to. Tesla is also going to offer a membership package at £10.99 per month in the UK to access lower kWh pricing, although it's not clear if this is the same low rate as a Tesla owner would incur.

Elon Musk, who is embroiled in a complex potential takeover of Twitter in the foreground, has previously said that the scheme might come to the US, but we've no timeline on when to expect any testing around that.