Ford partners with Tesla to gain access to electric vehicle superchargers

CNN
—

Owners of Ford electric vehicles will soon have access to Tesla’s vast electric vehicle charging network, according to the CEOs of both companies.

Starting next year, Ford EV owners in the United States will be able to use Ford’s mobile app to use Tesla’s 12,000 Supercharger stations – the company’s name for its fast-charging stations.

The partnership was announced Thursday by Ford (F) CEO Jim Farley and Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk during a Twitter Spaces livestream. Musk is also the CEO and owner from Twitter.

“I have tremendous respect for Ford as a company, and they make great vehicles. That’s something we’re very happy to support,” Musk said during the live stream.

Farley also announced that Ford’s next-generation EVs will be made with Tesla-style charging ports rather than the so-called CCS chargers used by most other EV branders, including General Motors, Audi and Rivian. Tesla’s charging stations outnumber CCS stations in the United States.

“We don’t have as many EV customers as you do, but we still have a lot, and for them to be able to have that benefit already early next year and not have to buy a new car is, I think , a true statement by you and the Tesla team to truly put customer experiences first,” Farley told Musk.

Existing Ford electric vehicles will use an adapter to access Tesla’s superchargers.

While many US states are pushing for the adoption of electric vehicles, some critics have pointed out that long stretches of freeways lack the charging infrastructure to make cars a viable option for many Americans. The problem is becoming increasingly urgent: several states, including California and New York, have passed bills to restrict the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

In November, Musk invited other electric vehicle makers to build vehicles using Tesla charging ports. Ford is the first major automaker to accept Musk’s offer.

“It’s super hard to create on-board electrical architectures,” Farley joked at the event.