Ford has become the first automaker to give its electric vehicle customers access to Tesla’s Superchargers by launching its new, and temporarily free, charging adapter.
In a post on its media website, the automaker today announced that owners of the F-150 Lightning pickup and Mustang Mach-E sedan would be the first non-Tesla drivers able to access the Supercharger network, thanks to the launch of a brand new adapter compatible with the North American Charging Standard (NACS). With over 15,000 outlets, Tesla continues to operate the most stations out of any charging brand in the U.S.
Ford said the move would more than double charging access among its buyers. However, that access may not come cheap for future customers. For a limited time, the automaker is giving its Supercharger adapters away for free to Lightning and Mach-E owners, allowing those who order swiftly to take advantage of Tesla’s network with no upfront cost. Drivers can reserve their free connector at this link but must do so before June 30, after which Ford will begin charging the full price of $230.
The NACS was initially developed by Tesla for its Supercharger network, meaning that electrified models from other automakers, who primarily relied on the Combined Charging System (CCS), were unable to connect. That began to change last year when Tesla said it would consider opening its chargers to third-party brands. Despite some brief hesitation among its competitors, in May 2023, Ford became the first automaker to sign an agreement committing to NACS adoption, beginning a cascade of similar deals with other major car brands, starting with General Motors.
In the months since, SAE International, the association responsible for developing third-party engineering standards for mobility technology, released its own version of NACS, effectively removing Tesla as the sole controller of the standard. Although it declined to enter a formal partnership like its peers, Stellantis was the last of the major automakers to adopt the NACS, which it did this February. Given that General Motors was the second to announce a partnership with Tesla last year, customers can likely expect to receive their own Supercharger-compatible connector in the near future.
