Ford has just announced that its future electric cars will get Tesla's NACS charging connector, which means that Ford EVs will be able to use all Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada without the need for an adapter.
The announcement took place during a live Twitter Spaces event featuring Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Per Farley, it seems as though the future Ford electric vehicles will be equipped with two charging ports. Farley stated that Ford EV owners will still be able to use their Ford chargers, so we take this comment to imply that the vehicles will have two charging ports or, if not, the EVs will have to come with an adapter to make this possible.
The Tesla NACS standard has been in use in the US and Canada since the launch of the Tesla Model S. The connector works for home charging, as well as for DC fast charging at Tesla Superchargers or at other fast-charging sites with the use of an adapter.
Tesla opened the Supercharger network to all automakers some time ago via what is referred to as the Magic Dock. This allows CCS1 cars to connect to select Tesla Superchargers by way of an adapter that is attached to the charging station.
According to Ford, the rollout will go like this:
"Starting early next year Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and E-Transit customers will be able to access the Superchargers via an adapter."
"In 2025, Ford will offer next-generation electric vehicles with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector built-in, eliminating the need for an adapter to access Tesla Superchargers."
This move makes it easier for Ford owners to Supercharge and the reliability of the Tesla Supercharger network is a plus too. Additionally, Ford added this in regard to Tesla's Supercharger network and NACS connector:
“The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability and the NACS plug is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a superior experience for customers.”
Tesla commented on this move too. Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure, stated:
“We’re excited to deliver on our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by welcoming Ford owners, and other electric vehicles who adopt NACS, to our thousands of Superchargers across North America.”
Tesla recently opened its NACS standard, thus making it available for any automaker to adopt and use. Aptera Motors confirmed that it would use NACS. However, no other major automaker committed to using NACS until just now with Ford's big announcement.
Leave us your thoughts on this major charging-related announcement in the comment section below and feel free to add if you're a Ford or Tesla EV owner, as it's likely both groups have a slightly different feeling about this.
