Ford CEO Jim Farley announced that his company would adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) several weeks ago during Twitter Spaces with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. How long did it take you to think about a deal with Tesla, the competitor that has long led the EV space over everyone else?
Farley said there was no hesitation.
Ford will adopt the NACS connector on all of its electric vehicles in 2025. But next year, Ford EV drivers will be able to connect to 12,000 Supercharger booths across North America with a simple adapter. It’s a move Farley says will help customers gain benefits and make the electric vehicle ownership experience easier.
“I have no problem being pushy when it comes to my clients’ advantage,” Farley said in an interview with CNBC. “Our team has never really wavered because it is beneficial to customers.”
Ford has its own line of chargers known as the Blue Oval Charge Network, which operates more than 84,000 kiosks across the country. However, the expansion deal with Tesla will help alleviate long lines and make charging opportunities more plentiful going forward.
Farley and Musk made their announcement on May 25, and he believes the deal with Tesla will benefit the growth of Ford’s Model e division, which handles all electric vehicle projects.
“Widespread access to fast charging is absolutely vital to our growth as an electric vehicle brand, and this amazing agreement comes as we ramp up production of the iconic Mustang Mach E and F-150 Lightning, and prepare to launch a series of next-generation electric vehicle products starting in 2025″.
The deal spurred several other partnerships between Tesla and EV makers, including General Motors and, most recently, Rivian, which announced its intention to adopt NACS yesterday.
Other automakers like Hyundai seem to be considering adopting NACS, while companies like Lucid don’t seem to have any interest in adopting the Tesla Connector, at least until changes are made.
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