It’s long been said that one of the biggest obstacles to wide EV adoption is charging infrastructure, or the lack thereof. There just aren’t enough EV chargers across the country to support everyone making the jump at the moment. There are third party companies such as EVGo and Electrify America that are making headway, but none of them have caught up to Tesla’s charging network, which is one of the largest in North America. And until recently, Tesla’s network was exclusive to, well, Tesla owners.
Tesla finally opened up its Superchargers to non-Tesla EVs but requires an adapter for its plug to work with universal charging connectors, which can be unwieldy at times. (If the chargers even work with your non-Tesla vehicle, which we’ve found isn’t guaranteed.) Wouldn’t it be nice to have access to the Supercharger network, but leave the goofy plug adapter at home? If you plan on buying a 2025 model year EV from Ford, that could be your future.
Ford announced that in 2025, its EVs will come with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port built-in. That makes it possible for Ford’s electric vehicles to use Tesla Superchargers without the need for an adapter. Additionally, starting in early 2024, owners of the Ford F-150 Lightning, Mach-E, or E-Transit will be able to access Tesla’s V3 Superchargers, but those vehicles will still need to utilize an adapter, and the FordPass app for payment. That gives Ford EVs access to over 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the United States and Canada beyond those chargers serviced by EVGo and Electrify America and other providers.
If you’re wondering what’s in it for Tesla, there is likely a revenue split agreement with Ford. Not to mention that President Biden’s administration has encouraged automakers and charging companies make things more seamless for consumers to encourage faster EV adoption. Not that Tesla cares much about currying favor with the government, but if the company plays ball it could lead to possible tax incentives down the line.
This move begs the question: Will Ford be transitioning away from CCS ports completely to NACS ports, or will its future vehicles will offer both? We reached out to Ford for answers, and a representative responded with: “Ford will start to transition its North American vehicles to NACS in 2025,” adding “That option [of having both] is certainly open to us however we have no specifics to share today.” The phrasing that the automaker is “transitioning” to NACS seems to suggest that it may leave CCS by the wayside, but it seems we can’t say for certain until Ford provides a more definite answer.
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