Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday that Tesla's network of 12,000 "Supercharger" stations will open to Ford EV owners next spring. The two execs partnered up to discuss the project via a Twitter Spaces chat Thursday evening.
Going live here with @ElonMusk at 5:30 EST. https://t.co/EbhWcgI9Gp
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) May 25, 2023
In the short term, Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and E-Transit customers will need both an adapter and software update along with activation and payment via FordPass or Ford Pro Intelligence in order to access Tesla's Superchargers. Musk said the experience should be "seamless and positive" for Ford customers, assuring one asker that the adaptor itself will not limit charger throughput.
Starting in 2025, all Ford EVs will be built with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector built-in, eliminating the need for a physical adaptor.
Farley also asked ("for a friend") when we should expect the Tesla Roadster to go into production; Musk said the current plan calls for deliveries starting in late 2024.
The chat touched on other topics, including sales and service experiences. Unsurprisingly, Farley and Musk disagreed on the importance of the brick-and-mortar dealer in either role.
“This is great news for our customers who will have unprecedented access to the largest network of fast-chargers in the U.S. and Canada with 12,000+ Tesla Superchargers plus 10,000+ fast-chargers already in the BlueOval Charge Network,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, in the company's announcement. “Widespread access to fast-charging is absolutely vital to our growth as an EV brand, and this breakthrough agreement comes as we are ramping up production of our popular Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, and preparing to launch a series of next-generation EVs starting in 2025.”
“We’ve spent the last 10 years building an industry-leading Charging Network that enables freedom to travel and provides charging confidence for our Tesla owners," said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure, in Ford's announcement. "We’re excited to deliver on our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy by welcoming Ford owners, and other electric vehicles who adopt NACS, to our thousands of Superchargers across North America.”
The unlikely pair have a mutual interests thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which cemented incentives for expanding public charging networks. Tesla has already begun to open its Supercharger network to other manufacturers, albeit with mixed results.
Fortunately, Twitter Spaces managed to hold up for the duration of the event -- a fortunate turn after Twitter's live hosting platform faltered during a campaign announcement by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday.
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