Ford is making life easier for its electric vehicle customers with an announcement that creates another crack in the range-anxiety wall that is blocking people from getting into an EV.
In May of 2023, Ford revealed that it would adopt Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports on all new models starting in 2025. The company also said adapters would be available for current Ford EV owners to utilize Tesla's network starting in early 2024.
On January 31, CEO Jim Farley tweeted out an announcement that the company will be sending adapters to all Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners — for free. And in a later update, Ford confirmed its EVs would become the first non-Telsa vehicles able to charge through Tesla's Supercharger network starting Feb. 29.
When we announced @Ford EVs would get access to @Tesla Superchargers, I said we'd send customers a Fast Charging Adapter. I'm pleased to confirm that eligible #MustangMachE & #F150Lightning owners in the U.S. + Canada can reserve a complimentary adapter starting soon.
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) January 31, 2024
This is… pic.twitter.com/QbGjEmsA3Y
"This is our way of saying thank you! We want to make charging more convenient for our Ford EV owners," Farley said in his tweet.
Ford and most other automakers producing EVs have been using the Combined Charging System port and connector design. While Tesla was an outlier, its NACS design has become the most reliable in the world.
One survey from J.D. Power found that 21% of U.S. EV owners who tried to charge at a public station couldn't complete their charging session, while Telsa owners were only at 4%, per Wired. Tesla also has the largest global fast-charging network, with over 50,000 Superchargers at around 6,000 stations.
Ford isn't the only automaker jumping on the NACS bandwagon — over 20 other companies have announced a switch to Tesla's charging plug by 2025, including heavy-hitters like GM, BMW, Honda, and Toyota.
Getting all EV automakers on the same page will go a long way in breaking through the range-anxiety barrier to mass EV adoption. The fear of running out of juice and being stranded is a legitimate concern, but it's a fear that is on its way out due to moves like this and massive improvements to charging infrastructure.
Making the switch to an EV is one of the most significant ways you can help cool down the planet. EVs don't produce any tailpipe pollution, unlike their gas-powered counterparts, which spew toxic gases that contribute to the dangerous overheating of our planet — transportation accounts for over 16% of global carbon pollution.
Most commenters on Farley's tweet were excited by the news.
"As a Mach-E owner I'm really pleased you're doing this. Much appreciated!" wrote one person.
"Awesome move," added another.
"This was one of the riskiest, smartest moves by Ford," another person tweeted. "Leveraging the Tesla Supercharger network will definitely move more Ford EVs. It's a win for both companies."
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