Ford's New EVs Will Get Tesla's Plug For Supercharger Access From 2024
Ford's electric vehicles will have access to Tesla's Supercharger network starting next year. The company's EVs that are already on the road will be able to access 12,000 additional chargers nationwide from spring 2024, on top of the 10,000 chargers currently available on the Blue Oval network. Buyers of Ford's Gen 2 electric vehicles will have an even easier time, as they will have a North American Charging Standard connector built into the vehicle, which will allow them to use Tesla's Superchargers without an adapter.
A representative from Ford confirmed to SlashGear that the automaker's Gen 2 electric vehicles with the NCAS port will be able to charge at CCS chargers using an adapter. It's not surprising Ford has chosen this route. The decision to not go for a dual-port design makes sense from both a technical and financial perspective, and using an adapter probably isn't too huge an inconvenience for many potential buyers.
Update: According to Ford's Emma Bergg, Gloabl Director for Electric Vehicles, the automaker isn't counting out dual ports as a possibility. "Having both inlet ports is an option for us," Bergg tweeted, "but nothing more to share right now."
The sheer number of new chargers isn't the only good news for Ford customers. Tesla's network has a high number of Level 3 chargers, which are ideal for filling the large batteries Ford fits to trucks like the F-150 Lightning in very little time.
More cars could be using Tesla's network soon
Access to Tesla's fast-charging stations has long been a major perk for those who have splashed out on one of Elon Musk's high-end EVs. But the chargers are becoming less exclusive as time goes on, and have already been opened up to all EVs in some parts of Europe. Tesla also plans to eventually make its charging stations available to all EV drivers in North America, but that rollout is taking a little time. The deal with Ford is interesting, as it's the first time Tesla has opened its network to an entire brand of cars nationwide instead of opening it to all EVs within a small geographical region.
Tesla has gone out of its way to place chargers on frequent travel routes, so it makes electric vehicles far more practical for drivers who often go on long trips. There may also be a bit of a catch for Ford owners planning on using Tesla's network — and this may be a factor they consider when choosing what charging port their vehicles will feature. Tesla has previously charged owners of non-Tesla EVs more to use its charging stations in countries and regions where access has been opened up. It is currently unknown if the extra costs will apply to Ford users, or if the Detroit-based motoring giant has negotiated a special deal with Musk that will see its customers spared the extra expense.