Eighteen months ago, Ford launched a transformation when the American automaker struck a deal to give owners of its electric vehicles Access to the Tesla Supercharger Network.
In a stunning turnaround, automaker after automaker—from General Motors and Hyundai to Rivian and Mercedes—followed suit. By the end of 2023, nearly every major automaker had agreed to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), promising electric-vehicle owners that the adapters would soon be on their way.
Most customers are not Tesla customers. They are still waitingHowever, an announcement from General Motors earlier this week may provide an electric dose of optimism.
Owners of GM electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Cadillac Lyriq will now be able to They have official access. All GM electric vehicle owners need to do is purchase and wait for GM-approved adapters that will allow their cars to charge at Tesla outlets.
More may follow soon. TechCrunch is tracking which brands have access to Tesla’s Supercharging Network and will update this list.
Switching to Tesla EV Charging Standard
In November 2022, Tesla shared its EV charging connector design in an effort to encourage grid operators and automakers to adopt the technology and help make it the new standard in North America. At the time, every other automaker was using the Common Charging Standard (CCS) in North America.
Mass adoption seemed unlikely at the time, despite Tesla’s charging network being considered. far superior Thanks to its sturdy, easy-to-use design and easy to pay for electric car juice.
Six months later, Ford became the first to announce that it would work with Tesla in a deal that would give its customers access To more than 12,000 Superchargers across the United States and Canada. But it didn’t just give Ford EV owners access to a special adapter. Ford also committed to integrating its future EVs with NACS outlets instead of CCS.
Followed by Rivian, GM, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, and Stellantis.
Frequently Asked Questions About Charging a Tesla
In the United States today, there are 36,499 NACS ports available to the public (although some may be Other Electric Vehicle Charging Companies which adopted the Tesla standard, compared to about 16,925 CCS ports. This is despite federal dollars Which went straight to building CCS chargers.
For EV owners with a CCS outlet, you will have to wait for manufacturer-certified adapters. While there are some third-party adapters that claim to comply with certain safety and performance standards, such as Lectron Vortex Plug For $199, Tesla website He says such converters are prohibited.
A GM spokesperson told TechCrunch that its adapters are specifically designed to protect GM electric vehicle batteries during charging and that the vehicle warranty does not cover damage to vehicle parts resulting from using non-GM-approved adapters.
In late August, Tesla posted on its X site that it Increase production This statement, along with GM’s, could mean that more non-Tesla electric vehicles will soon be stopping at fast-charging stations. All of these vehicles will have to download the Tesla app to pay for charging.
Tesla Supercharger Accessibility Checklist
General Motors
As of September 2024, GM is finally updating the software on its Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC electric vehicles so that customers can use Tesla’s Superchargers. If they want access to them soon, they’ll need to purchase a “GM-certified” adapter through their app for $225.
GM did not say how long the charging would take. A GM spokesperson said the company already has stock of adapters and has worked with several suppliers to manufacture NACS DC fast-charging adapters.
From 2025 onwards, GM electric vehicles will be built with a NACS charging port.
Ford
Some Ford Customers officially granted access Ford began delivering free fast-charging adapters to most customers in February, but ongoing supply constraints have delayed delivery of free fast-charging adapters to most customers (though Ford says the delays have affected “some” customers).
Current Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning owners who have not yet ordered their adapter can do so through the Ford Pass app. The deadline to apply for a free adapter is September 30.
Rivian
Electric vehicle startup Rivian officially got 15,000 Superchargers across North America on March 18, 2024. At that time, Rivian promised to start shipping the adapters to customers. Starting from AprilA Rivian spokesperson told TechCrunch that the automaker began deliveries this spring and continues to ship the adapters as quickly as it receives them.
TechCrunch will update the list when automakers get official access to it.
