Ford Motor Company announced it will be partnering with Tesla to provide its electric vehicle customers with access to Tesla’s extensive charging network in the U.S. and Canada. Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the agreement Thursday, May 25, during a “Twitter Spaces” audio chat.
“We think this is a huge move for our industry and for all electric customers,” Farley said.
In addition, Ford plans to equip its electric vehicles with built-in Tesla-compatible connectors, making it the first automotive brand to adopt this approach after Tesla opened its charging design to other companies in November.
This collaboration is seen as a significant step toward wider EV adoption, that appears likely to accelerate adoption of Tesla’s preferred charging setup, Axios reported.
Tesla’s charging stations were previously exclusive to Tesla owners, but the company initiated a pilot program earlier this year, granting access to some stations for non-Tesla EVs. While this move garnered criticism from certain Tesla owners concerned about increased wait times for charging, Musk has defended his broader vision, as the United States undergoes a historic shift toward electric cars.
“The idea is that we don’t want the Tesla Supercharger network to be like a walled garden. We want it to be something that is supportive of electrification and sustainable transport in general,” Musk said.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced Tesla’s assistance in its goals constructing a nationwide EV charging network of 500,000 chargers along American highways
Worldwide, consumers are increasingly embracing the shift toward electric vehicles, evident in Tesla’s Model Y becoming the best-selling car globally in the first quarter of 2023. While Tesla continues to lead the U.S. EV market, industry experts predict that its dominance is in decline with the emergence of more EV brands.
Ford suggested that the Tesla standard represents the future, placing other car companies at a crossroads.
In an interview with CNBC, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated, “I think GM and others are going to have a big choice to make – do they want to have fast charging or stick to their standard?”
