Across the Atlantic, Ford had already promised its customers access to 10,000 direct current superchargers. From the beginning of next year, the number will more than double including the Tesla V3 steles.
Under 3 conditions
The agreement that has just been concluded between the 2 American manufacturers will allow users of the Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV, the E-Transit van and the F-150 Lightning pickup in 2024 to connect to 12,000 Tesla superchargers in the United States. United and Canada.
However, three conditions will be necessary for this promise to become a reality for private and professional electromobilists: use of a specific physical adapter, software update, and activation of payment through an application associated with the vehicles.
” This is great news for our customers who will have unprecedented access to the largest fast charger network in the USA and Canada with over 12,000 Tesla Superchargers and over 10,000 fast chargers already in the BlueOval charging network. “Commented Jim Farley, head of Ford.
He believes that for his company, access to the Tesla stelae ” is absolutely vital to our growth as an electric vehicle brand “. Without waiting for a next generation of EVs, this facility can already be exploited with the range currently available on the market.
What recognition for Tesla!
The fact that a historic car manufacturer has recognized the tremendous work done by Tesla in terms of charging is to be seen as a real consecration. Senior Director of Tesla Charging Infrastructure, Rebecca Tinucci, however, remained subdued in the joint press release dated May 25, 2023.
She began by recalling the overall action of her company: ” We’ve spent the past 10 years building an industry-leading charging network that enables freedom to travel and provides charging confidence for Tesla owners “.
She then broadened her vision: “ We are excited to fulfill our mission to accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy by welcoming owners of Ford and other electric vehicles who adopt NACS to our thousands of Tesla Superchargers across North America. “.
No need for an adapter from 2025
It is Tesla who is in charge of the realization of the specific adapter in the United States to exploit the V3 steles from the CCS standard. A crisp turnaround for the trendy manufacturer who had already stepped up to the plate so that its NACS (North America Charging Standard) connector becomes a standard in the United States.
Created in 2015, the CharIN association which developed the CCS had estimated a few months ago that the NACS was coming too late. Ford’s decision proves him wrong and could well cause a real shift likely to take away other manufacturers.
On the brand’s electric cars, the adapter should no longer be useful with the future generation that the Blue Oval will launch in 2025. The vehicles would be directly equipped with the NACS connector. The merger between the 2 manufacturers could well cause an even greater upheaval across the Atlantic than the loss of support in Europe for the Japanese CHAdeMO standard.
A better experience for EV drivers?
In the press release, Ford literally praises Tesla and its NACS connector. On the charging ecosystem put in place by the brand of Elon Musk, Marin Gjaja, customer director for electric models of Ford, congratulates: Tesla has been the industry leader in creating a significant, reliable and efficient charging system and we are excited to be able to join forces in a way that benefits customers and the overall adoption of electric vehicles. “.
He drives the point home with a focus on the connector: “ The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability, and the NACS socket is smaller and lighter. Together will provide a superior experience to our customers “.
With such a position, it is hard to imagine that other manufacturers do not join the Tesla banner. Especially since with its 84,000 chargers, including those of modest power, Ford appears as the one who is at the head of the largest charging network in the United States. And that’s not all. Its dealers are expected to add 1,800 new chargers this year.
