Tesla and Ford have just signed a historic partnership. From 2024, electric vehicles from the blue oval brand will be able to access Tesla’s Supercharger network. Better still, Ford intends to integrate on its future models a charging socket compatible with the Tesla connector.
For a few years now, Tesla has been gradually opening up its Supercharger network to electric vehicles from competing brands. It started in Norway as early as 2021, followed by the Netherlands. And since January 31, 2022, owners of French non-Tesla electric cars can also charge their vehicles at the American manufacturer’s fast charging stations.
And precisely, we have just learned that Tesla has signed a major partnership with Ford this Friday, May 26, 2023. Casually, this is a major announcement. As you may know, in the United States Tesla uses a different standard from Combo CCS, in this case NACS sockets (for North American Charging Standard).
Tesla opens its American Supercharger network to Ford
In fact, and to allow Ford electric models to take advantage of the 12,000 American and Canadian charging points, Tesla will develop an adapter. Thanks to this accessory, which will be launched at the beginning of 2024 according to Elon Musk, owners of Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning will be able to connect to Supercharger v3.
Please note that this will be a temporary measure. From 2025, the blue oval brand intends to go even further. Indeed, the manufacturer has confirmed that sFuture electric cars will be directly equipped with a NACS port. In other words, the adapter will be useless on his vehicles.
With this alliance, Ford more or less doubles the charging offer available to its customers. Indeed, to the 10,000 terminals of its Blue Oval Charge Network will therefore be added the 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in North America.
This opening to the Superchargers network is “great news for our customers” said Ford CEO Jim Farley, before adding that “widespread access to fast charging is absolutely vital to our growth as an EV brand”. Two questions now arise: will the next Ford EVs still be compatible with the CCS Combo socket or will they abandon it in favor of the NCAS standard? And finally, will this partnership encourage other American manufacturers to consider a similar agreement? The future will tell.