An all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E at a Tesla Supercharger charging station.
Passage
DETROIT – Ford Motor is rolling out Tesla Supercharging capabilities to its electric vehicle owners in the US and Canada. The launch starts on Thursday, but supply is expected to be limited at first.
The Detroit automaker was the first to announce a deal Tesla to use the EV manufacturer’s Supercharger network. The vast majority of US automakers have since followed suit. Under the agreements, companies such as Ford will adopt Tesla’s charging port for future EV models.
In the meantime, an adapter is needed to connect non-Tesla vehicles, which use different charging technology, to Tesla’s network. Ford says the partnership will more than double access to fast chargers for its owners — but it may take some time to roll out the adapters to all customers.
“We are limited in supply as we go forward, and we believe that in the initial phases of the launch, demand will exceed supply,” Ken Williams, Ford’s director of charging and energy services, said during a media briefing. “We will try to manage this demand on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Williams declined to disclose how many adapters the company is currently offering to EV customers, who in the U.S. have bought about 140,000 EVs from Ford since 2023. The adapters are expected to start shipping to customers in late March, the company said. Ford.
Tesla, which designed the adapter and manages their distribution to automakers, did not respond to a request for comment on details.
Ford Motor shares vs. Tesla
Fast chargers can add hundreds of miles of driving range in an hour or less, depending on the vehicle. This compares to less powerful chargers that can take hours, if not more, to do so.
Automakers last year began agreeing to adopt Tesla’s charging technology to gain access to its already extensive charging network instead of or in addition to building their own chargers (or waiting for others, such as the federal government, to do so).
Ford does not receive revenue or pay Tesla for access to the Tesla Supercharger network, according to a spokesman for the Detroit automaker.
Ford customers
Current Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E retail customers can reserve a free charging adapter through the Ford owner app or at Ford.com/FastChargingAdapter through June 30, the company said. After that time, the adapters will cost $230 each.
Once on the website, customers must log in or register with Ford’s “BlueOval Charge Network” through the FordPass app to reserve an adapter. Customers not yet registered with the BlueOval Charge Network will be prompted to register before ordering the fast charging adapter.
Adapters will be mailed out on a reservation basis and some customers, depending on when they sign up, may experience an unknown wait.
Tesla Adapter Order for F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E
- From Ford’s special sitelog in to Ford Pass.
- Click the “Keep Your Adapter Free” button to begin the ordering process.
- Your shipping details will be pre-populated based on your Ford Pass account, just verify that all information is accurate, update if necessary and click ‘Book’.
- You will receive a confirmation screen with helpful information about an upcoming automated over-the-air software update and a link to the Ford FAQ Center.
- You will also receive a confirmation email with a link to check the status of your booking.
Ford owners will be able to use the Tesla charger through the FordPass app or the Charge Assist app on the vehicle’s touchscreen, eliminating the need to use a credit card at the hotel. They will also be able to use the Tesla app.
The adapter is needed to connect what’s known as a Combined Charging System (CCS) charger port, which was the US industry standard, to Tesla’s North American charging system (NACS).
Under the Ford-Tesla deal, Ford says starting Thursday owners will be given access to more than 15,000 Tesla Superchargers across the US and Canada.
Tesla says it has more than 50,000 Supercharger slots worldwide. The company does not break down how many are in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Energy says the country has only approximately 6,900 CCS fast chargers publicly available.
With the addition of Tesla Superchargers, Ford says BlueOval Charge Network customers have access to more than 126,000 chargers, including more than 28,000 fast chargers.
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