One automaker to ship long-awaited free gift into 2025
Non-Tesla drivers clamor for Tesla Supercharger adapters
Just know: The box is on its way.
Ford CEO Jim Farley confirms that more than 100,000 adapters that provide access to Tesla Superchargers are en route at no cost to owners of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup and Mustang Mach-E electric SUV in the U.S. and Canada.
While drivers of Ford, General Motors, Volvo, Rivian, Nissan and Polestar electric vehicles can now use of the Tesla network to slash their battery charge time — Ford is supplying for free the needed device that makes it all possible. And now.
Tesla, the top-selling electric vehicle maker, owns and operates the largest global fast-charging network in the world, according to Tesla.com. The network of more than 17,800 Tesla Superchargers in North America allows drivers to recharge some vehicles more than 200 miles in 15 minutes, the website says.
Demand for these devices has been overwhelming, not just consumers getting them at no charge. Even those purchasing them have had to wait months for their arrival with no shipping date in sight.
“Everyone had a tough time scaling” supply to meet demand, Farley said.
Ford has been working to fill the reservations placed during the spring and summer as quickly as possible while, at the same time, delivery of the adapters from Tesla failed to keep up with demand. So Ford reached out to Lectron EV, a supplier based in Shakopee, Minn., to make adapters under the Ford brand.
They’re priced by Ford at $200 retail. GM has them priced at $225.
When Farley announced the complimentary adapter deal in January 2024, he said, “This is our way of saying thank you! We want to make charging more convenient for our Ford EV owners, so we're excited to add Tesla chargers and will continue growing our BlueOval Charge Network.”
In March, the online order link at Ford crashed as customers rushed to request the free Tesla charging adapter.
Ford was the first automaker to strike a deal with Tesla, known for its many dependable charging sites. Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the deal in May 2023 during an audio chat on the site formerly known as Twitter.
‘We have the supply’
A majority of consumers charge their vehicles at home, waking up to a fully-charged vehicle every day. But range anxiety is a real issue for new electric vehicle owners, especially in the winter when people frequently use interior heat, seat heat and steering wheel heat. Consumers don't want to worry how quickly a car battery may run down and where it might be recharged when traveling long distances.
Having a charging adapter eases concerns of electric car, SUV and truck owners.
“We have the supply to meet the backlog,” Ford spokesman Marty Gunsberg told me. “We’re targeting early in the New Year to delivery all complimentary adapters to customers.”
Automakers domestic and foreign have agreed to adopt the Tesla charging port design as the new standard, and new vehicles are being designed to be compatible.
Folks who drive gasoline-powered vehicles have the luxury of stopping at any gas station anywhere to fuel up without forethought. The electric vehicle charging network continues to grow and evolve.
A present under the tree
Ford customer Anthony Singelis of Montreal, Quebec posted on the site formerly known as Twitter about the arrival of the long-awaited adapter.
“My Christmas present from #Ford to me and our two Mach-e’s,” he said, sharing an image of a box under his Christmas tree. “So happy to have received my free NACS (North American Charging Standard) adapter delivered by Purolator today. My Christmas tree now has a present to me under it!! Thank you.”
(Note: Purolator is a shipping service within Canada.)
Farley said this month that Ford will be the first to get complimentary adapters shipped to all its reservation holders plus have new supplies available to those who didn’t order by the cutoff deadline earlier this year.
A number of Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners responded to the column.
Comments included:
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This is a great EV story. Thank you. I would not have thought about this question a year ago, but I do now: if the Tesla plug is now standard, does that give the Tesla company owner a perpetual revenue stream for every EV produced that uses it?
“…site formerly known as Twitter.” 👍🏾
I bought the A2Z adapter. It's almost done with UL 2252 certification. I prefer the compact size of A2Z ...and it's cheaper!