Tesla will open its Supercharger network to Ford EV owners in 2024

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Tesla owners will soon have more competition for Supercharger stations across the US and Canada. Starting in the spring of 2024, Ford electric vehicle owners will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers. The newly reached agreement effectively doubles the number of fast-chargers that'll be available to Ford EV drivers.

Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said widespread access to fast-charging is vital to their growth as an EV brand, adding that the announcement comes as they are ramping up production of their Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. Ford is also working to prep a series of next-gen EVs starting in 2025.

Existing Ford EVs will connect to Tesla Superchargers using a Tesla-developed adapter, but future models will come with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector built in. Billing will be handled through the FordPass mobile app.

Tesla leads the EV industry in terms of sales in the US, but Ford came in second place last year with sales of 61,575 EVs. Access to Tesla's charging network will no doubt help the Blue Oval sell even more EVs as the deal significantly reduces charge anxiety for prospective buyers still on the fence about abandoning gas-powered vehicles.

Tesla's Supercharger network is among the best in the business and a key selling point for Tesla. From a pure competition perspective, it's a little surprising that Tesla is willing to open it up to other EV makers. On the other hand, the move pushes the entire EV industry forward (Tesla included) and must no doubt be lucrative for Tesla in terms of access fees.

I would also be interested in hearing what existing Tesla owners have to say on the matter. I have no idea what charging at a Supercharger looks like today in terms of crowding or having to wait in line, but a sudden influx of Ford vehicles will no doubt have some sort of impact. What will that look like, and what will Tesla owners think about it?

Financial terms of the partnership were not shared, nor do we know how much Ford customers will pay at the e-pump. A Ford spokesperson told CNBC that pricing will be market competitive and that more information will be shared closer to the launch date in early 2024.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/98847-tesla-open-supercharger-network-ford-ev-owners-2024.html

 

[wiyosaya]

GTX 4090 Ti power connector issues anyone?

Just how are those F150 Lighting pickups with the Tesla charging plug going to sell when this hits the streets?

 

[wiyosaya]

Tesla's Supercharger network is among the best in the business and a key selling point for Tesla. From a pure competition perspective, it's a little surprising that Tesla is willing to open it up to other EV makers. On the other hand, the move pushes the entire EV industry forward (Tesla included) and must no doubt be lucrative for Tesla in terms of access fees.

would also be interested in hearing what existing Tesla owners have to say on the matter. I have no idea what charging at a Supercharger looks like today in terms of crowding or having to wait in line, but a sudden influx of Ford vehicles will no doubt have some sort of impact. What will that look like, and what will Tesla owners think about it?

Maybe its Musk/Tesla seeing the writing on the wall and trying to monopolize the EV charging industry.

 

[mbk34]

There should really be a standard across all vehicles.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

As a Tesla owner, I don’t expect this to impact me much at charging stations as long as the port is located on the driver’s side rear position or passenger’s side front position. Other locations could occupy two charging stalls when both a Tesla and a Ford are the two vehicles charging at a location. See MKBHD’s video for a demonstration of this.

Tesla sells like 60% of all EVs in North America and all other auto brands are at less than 10% so it’ll only be a minor increase of vehicles. Plus Elon has stated before that any automaker must contribute to funding the network buildout if they want to have full access, so I’m sure Ford will incrementally speed up new supercharger locations.

As for the network size, Tesla’s is the largest fast charging network in every country. Tesla actually has 21k superchargers in North America at 2000 locations, so ford is adding a subset of those to its network. I don’t live in a city center anymore so I’m not sure what lines are like, but traveling through Jacksonville I’ve never encountered a line on holiday weekends.

 

[axiomatic13]

This will be most welcome in Texas where charging stations are not plentiful.

 

[wiyosaya]

I don’t live in a city center anymore so I’m not sure what lines are like, but traveling through Jacksonville I’ve never encountered a line on holiday weekends.

When the majority of vehicles on the road are EVs, this may change. Right now, the majority of vehicles on the road are not EVs as I am sure you are aware.

 

[brucek]

Given the vast public subsidies that have gone into EVs, I don't think it's unreasonable for the charging interface to them to be standardized such that any EV charger can charge any model of EV vehicle.

Once that's settled, if some company wants to open the equivalent of a private gas station that only sells to one make of cars, let them -- market pressures will correct such an inefficient use of capital soon enough.

 

[rmcrys]

There should really be a standard across all vehicles.

There is, at least in Europe. The only thing is that not all tesla superchargers allow "foreign" vehicles though the connector is the same.

If worldwide current/ frequency (and not 110v@60 and 220v@50 hz) + wall connectors + car connectors were the same, then a lot of money and troubles could be saved...

 

[dangh]

I'm really surprised is not standardised yet in us...it should be same as with usb-c. Proper syandayrd to ensure condition for companies and convenience for users. Imagine if you had proprietary gas noozles...

 

[Uncle Al]

And you can bet it will cost them a bundle!

 

[sorten]

It's unfortunate that we started with two competing standards: CCS and CHAdeMO, and the proprietary Tesla connector. But CCS has won that competition and will be the standard moving forward.

I don't think Tesla will have much trouble hosting Ford EVs at this point. For Ford drivers will be just another option.

 

[scavengerspc]

When the majority of vehicles on the road are EVs, this may change. Right now, the majority of vehicles on the road are not EVs as I am sure you are aware.

Hey! Something we disagree on!

We should all keep in mind that any EV can charge at home. That will drastically reduce the need for commercial locations. And those prices.

I have encountered prices just a few pennies more than my home rate, but I have also come across stations that are 150% more. The price variations can be huge.

 

[wiyosaya]

Hey! Something we disagree on!

We should all keep in mind that any EV can charge at home. That will drastically reduce the need for commercial locations. And those prices.

I have encountered prices just a few pennies more than my home rate, but I have also come across stations that are 150% more. The price variations can be huge.

Well, I cannot say that we disagree. I see it as a definite possibility when EVs become more prevalent. I am sure there will be those out there that cannot or will not (through forgetfulness, neglect, or some other reason) charge at home.