Ford and Tesla Work Cooperatively to Bolster Electric Vehicle Purchases

Photo Source: Ford

Ford Motor Company proclaimed on Thursday, May 25th, 2023, that it has agreed with Tesla, Inc. to permit its electric vehicle owners to gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America in the 2024 model year. The collaboration between the competitors makes Ford the first major automaker to adopt Tesla’s charging standard, giving the automaker access to the largest network of high-speed Superchargers in the United States. Analysts have declared that access to charging stations is considered one of the primary hurdles, so far, to broader acceptance of electric vehicles. Thus, Tesla announced in November of 2022 that it would open its charging design to other automakers and charging network operators.

Supercharger Availability

As mentioned, owners of Ford electric SUVs and trucks will soon have easy access to the more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in Canada and the United States, courtesy of a partnership between the two manufacturers. Beginning in early 2024; the Tesla Supercharger network will become accessible through Ford’s BlueOval Charge network via a hardware adapter and, starting in 2025, Ford’s next-generation electric vehicles will have Tesla’s charging port built-in. The BlueOval Charge network is Ford’s combination of partnered electric vehicle charging providers that consumers can search and access through their FordPass mobile application, onboard route-planning software, or other methods. 

Ford currently boasts access to more than 10,000 DC fast-charging stations, which will soon be joined by Tesla’s 12,000-plus Supercharging points. Drivers will connect to the Superchargers via a Tesla-developed hardware adapter that converts Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) cable to the Combined Charging System (CCS) port that comes standard on the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit electric vehicles. Charger activation and payment will then be handled utilizing Ford’s Pro Intelligence onboard electric vehicle software or the FordPass app.

Upcoming Electric Vehicles

Beginning in 2025, Ford’s second generation of electric vehicles will feature built-in NACS charging ports – presumably alongside the familiar CCS connection. Ford’s acceptance of the open-source charging standard will eliminate the need for an adapter to charge up at Tesla Supercharger stations. On the one hand, the fact that the North American electric vehicle charging environment is still split between the NACS and CCS standards seems counterproductive. 

Now that the ChaDeMo standard is on the way out and with research showing the European Union has settled on the CCS standard, it appeared that the automotive industry was on track for a single port worldwide. Viewed in such a way, Ford’s endorsement of dual charging systems can be seen as a step in the wrong direction that could confuse new electric vehicle buyers.

On the other hand, Tesla operates arguably the largest, most widespread, and, importantly, the most dependable charging network in America. Tesla is also the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world, so if there is an argument to be made for who is winning the charging standard war, it is Tesla. Ford’s alliance with Tesla is a savvy move, providing a significant benefit to its customers for the small cost of a hardware adapter. Plus, if there is room in new vehicles’ designs for both ports, offering both connections in the future seems like a win-win for buyers and for Ford.

As a matter of fact, Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer, Ford Model e, stated, “The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability and the NACS plug is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a superior experience for customers.” Tesla also recently promised that it will open at least 3,500 of its Supercharger stations to all electric vehicles by the end of 2024.

If you are impressed by the mutual cooperation between Ford and Tesla, please visit Sunrise Ford. We can help sell your current vehicle or bring it back to life like new with an online service appointment at our service center. Allow our professional technicians to get started on all repairs or maintenance work your vehicle may require.