Ford to use Tesla’s EV charging tech

Ford and Tesla have agreed to give Ford EV owners access to over 12,000 superchargers in the U.S. and Canada.

This agreement goes beyond access to Tesla superchargers via adapter. Ford’s 2025 EVs will have Tesla’s NACS charge port. Ford’s second-generation EV lineup includes an electric truck and a three-row SUV. Elon Musk and Jim Farley announced the unexpected deal Thursday on Twitter.

Ford says second-generation EVs with NACS ports can use CCS chargers with an adapter. Ford will offer subscriptions and a low-cost adapter, Farley said. Musk said the adapter will cost “hundreds.”

Musk said Thursday that the Tesla Supercharger network and API support Ford vehicles. “A Ford vehicle can charge at a Tesla supercharger using a Ford app seamlessly. The Tesla Supercharger network should not be a walled garden. It should support electrification and sustainable transport.”

All Tesla vehicles have AC and 1 MW DC charging connectors. Its compact design and performance outperform most North American EVs’ Combined Charging System (CCS) connectors. Tesla shared its EV charging connector design last year to encourage network operators and automakers to adopt it and make it the North American standard.

Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and E-Transit owners with Combined Charging System ports can use Tesla’s V3 Superchargers with a Tesla-developed adapter.

The automakers say the Tesla agreement will give Ford customers twice as many fast-chargers in spring 2024.

Farley praised Tesla’s superchargers, routing software, and connector during Twitter Spaces.

Ford customers can use its BlueOval Charge Network, which has over 84,000 chargers, including over 10,000 DC fast-chargers. By early 2024, Ford dealers will add 1,800 public-facing fast-chargers and locations to the BlueOval Charge Network.