Most Ford EV drivers will get Tesla charge-port adapters for free

Ford provided an update on Wednesday on its plans to adopt the Tesla charge port for future EVs and to allow current and recent EV models to charge on the Tesla Supercharger network. 

To the latter point, Ford revealed that the accessory adapters needed to get drivers of current and recent American Ford EVs on-network with Supercharging will be free. 

Ford told EV kind of cars that more details will be provided closer to the adapter’s arrival, but it clarified that one adapter will be issued for each VIN—a statement likely verifying that the offer won’t only be limited to original owners, or to those who bought versus leased. 

Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning getting CATL LFP batteries

Ford EVs from the 2021 through 2024 model years will be accommodated with the adapter, potentially covering all Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning models. 

When we announced @Ford EVs would get access to @Tesla Superchargers, I said we’d send customers a Fast Charging Adapter. I’m pleased to confirm that eligible #MustangMachE & #F150Lightning owners in the U.S. + Canada can reserve a complimentary adapter starting soon.

This is… pic.twitter.com/QbGjEmsA3Y

— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) January 31, 2024

Ford was the first major automaker to sign on to what’s subsequently been vetted as the North American Charging Standard (NACS). In a mic-drop announcement last May, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk together confirmed Ford’s plans to adopt the Tesla standard, starting an industry-wide shift in North America. By the end of 2023, the list of brands adopting the Tesla standard included all but Stellantis, Mazda, and Mitsubishi—and Mazda committed to it in January. 

At that time, Ford also said that owners wouldn’t need to use the Tesla app to charge at Tesla Superchargers. Instead, by tapping into Tesla’s API, the Ford app (and in-dash interface) would provide access. 

It’s also unclear as of yet whether future Ford EVs will be able to tap into the full 500 amps with this adapter, as Tesla’s Magic Dock adapter allowing CCS vehicles to be charged at some Supercharger locations is limited to 350 amps, or about 140 kw for a 400-volt EV. 

Ford did suggest at the time of its original announcement that future models making the switch wouldn’t feature both charge-port designs. GM, which followed by a few weeks in its NACS announcement, also confirmed that its future EVs would offer a single combined charge port. In the immediate future, it means owners may need to get new charging hardware with the NACS connector and get used to the idea of using adapters. 

Ford Mustang Mach-E at Tesla Supercharger

Ford at the time of its original announcement told GCR that future EVs with the NACS port would be able to charge at CCS connectors with an adapter—another detail yet to come, and something the automaker definitely included in its claimed 25% boost to the number of chargers on its aggregated Blue Oval Charging Network. Adding the Tesla Supercharger network will boost the number of listed compatible chargers to 106,000.

With Ford at the leading edge of this new wave of charging, expect many more announcements from other automakers, each with slightly different details, in coming weeks and months. Let’s hope the Supercharger stations are ready.