Owners of Ford electric vehicles (EVs) will soon have access to more than 10,000 extra charging stations around the U.S. and Canada.
Ford Motor Company recently announced an agreement with Tesla, Inc. that would double the number of fast-charging stations available to Ford EV customers by introducing a special adapter that grants them direct access to more than 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in North America starting in spring 2024.
As part of the industry-first agreement, Ford also said it would equip its future model EVs with a NACS charging port that removes the need for a Tesla-developed adapter beginning in 2025, according to a May 25 news release from the legacy automotive manufacturer.
This is a breakthrough agreement and positive news for customers and the industry, says Ford President and CEO Jim Farley.
“Widespread access to fast charging stations is absolutely vital to Ford’s growth, [and it] comes as the company begins ramping up production of its Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning,” Farley said in the news release.
Musk called the agreement an important step toward sustainable transportation and said it signified Tesla’s support for Ford as it transitions to EV.
“It is our intent to do everything possible to support Ford and have Ford be on an equal footing [with] Tesla Superchargers,” Musk said during a Twitter Spaces audio chat with Farley, noting that he did not want Tesla’s network to be a “walled garden,” per WFAA.
Farley suggests that the added convenience for Ford owners may come at a cost in the form of a monthly subscription, though no details were mentioned during the Twitter Spaces discussion or the news release.
“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 for Ford Model e, in a release.
“The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability, and the NACS plug is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a superior experience for customers,” Gjaja added.
There are about 54,000 public EV charging stations across the U.S. and roughly 17,000 Tesla Supercharger stations.