Ford Has Access to 12,000 Tesla Fast Chargers Across North America
With over 12,000 Level 3 fast-chargers across the U.S. and Canada, Tesla’s Supercharger network is the envy of the industry. The California-based company invested early and heavily in its own charging network, helping to fuel sales of its electric cars, which are the world’s best-sellers. But until recently, when Tesla started opening up its network, drivers of other EVs haven’t been able to use Tesla’s chargers because of the brand’s proprietary charging port. That’s about to change for drivers of Ford electric vehicles, who will gain access to the North American Supercharger network starting in Spring 2024. Ford also plans to adopt Tesla’s charging plug on future EV models.
Ford considers widespread access to fast charging as vital to the growth of its EV sales. The company feels that giving Ford drivers access to 12,000 Tesla chargers – as well as still being able to use the thousands of other chargers they can already access – will be a major competitive advantage.
“This is great news for our customers who will have unprecedented access to the largest network of fast-chargers in the U.S. and Canada with 12,000+ Tesla Superchargers plus 10,000+ fast-chargers already in the BlueOval Charge Network,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “This breakthrough agreement comes as we are ramping up production of our popular Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, and preparing to launch a series of next-generation EVs starting in 2025.”
Ford will Adopt Tesla Charging Ports in 2024
Starting in 2024, Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit vehicles, which currently use a Combined Charging System (CCS) port like most currently-available EVs, will sip with a Tesla-developed adapter. By using the adapter, Ford EVs will be able to connect to Tesla’s V3 Superchargers. Ford drivers will have use the FordPass app and sign up for an account to pay for charging, but billing is seamless and automatic.
Tesla’s charge port, which it calls NACS (North American Charging Standard), will also be equipped on future Ford EVs, starting in 2025, removing the need for an adapter to directly access Tesla Superchargers. What is not yet clear is whether the NACS port will replace the CCS port on those future EVs; if so, future Ford models could require an adapter to access non-Tesla public charging stations.
“Tesla has led the industry in creating a large, reliable and efficient charging system and we are pleased to be able to join forces in a way that benefits customers and overall EV adoption,” said Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer of Ford’s electric car division. “The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability and the NACS plug is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a superior experience for customers.”
The deal should be good for Tesla’s business as well as helping Ford sell more electric cars. The Mustang Mach-E was one of the best-selling EV models in the U.S. in 2022, and demand for the F-150 Lightning and E-Transit has outstripped supply. Tens of thousands of Ford EVs accessing the Supercharger network will help Tesla’s bottom line.
Tesla Accelerating Transition to Sustainable Energy
“We’ve spent the last 10 years building an industry-leading charging network that enables freedom to travel and provides charging confidence for our Tesla owners,” said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure. “We’re excited to deliver on our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by welcoming Ford owners, and other electric vehicles who adopt NACS, to our thousands of Superchargers across North America.”
