Tesla Opening Superchargers to Ford EVs in 2024

Tesla and Ford CEOs Elon Musk and Jim Farley met yesterday via a Twitter Spaces call, during which Farley shared a major announcement. Although Tesla has been piloting a program to open its Superchargers to other companies for some time now, the news represents the largest expansion of the network yet, set to benefit Ford customers as soon as next year.

Above: A Tesla Supercharger station (Image: Casey Murphy / EVANNEX).

During the Twitter Spaces call, Farley announced that Ford electric vehicles will be able to charge at Tesla Superchargers as soon as early 2024. The news follows Tesla opening Superchargers to all EVs in some European and other countries last year, along with a pilot program opening them up in some select U.S. locations.

The next generation of Ford EVs, expected in 2025, will also include the North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug, which was originally designed by Tesla for its cars and was opened to other automakers last year. Currently, Ford EVs require an adapter to charge at Superchargers, and Musk says an adapter for current Ford customers is expected to enter production next year.

“The idea is that like, we don't want the Tesla Supercharger network to be like a walled garden, you know,” Musk said following Farley’s announcement. “We want it to be something that is supportive of electrification and sustainable transport in general.”

Farley also announced that it plans to move to non-negotiated pricing models next year, suggesting it may also shift to an online-focused buying experience. He adds that “more and more people want to do business remotely,” following suit with Tesla’s online-only model.

Tesla currently has 12,000 Supercharger stalls across the U.S., while Ford has around 10,000 DC fast-chargers and a total of about 84,000 chargers total in the BlueOval Charge Network. Superchargers are also typically considered the most reliable fast-chargers available today.

“Tesla has led the industry in creating a large, reliable and efficient charging system and we are pleased to be able to join forces in a way that benefits customers and overall EV adoption,” Ford Model e Chief Customer Officer Marin Gjaja said in a press release. “The Tesla Supercharger network has excellent reliability and the NACS plug is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a superior experience for customers.”

The Tesla mission statement says that the company’s top goal is “to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.”

Nearly a decade after that mission statement post was penned by Musk, the company is closer than ever to building a mass-market car with a new Gigafactory and next-gen vehicle in the works — along with opening the largest fast-charging network in the U.S. to another automaker.

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