Starting from Thursday, owners of Ford electric vehicles such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning in North America can now use Tesla Superchargers to power up their cars. Ford CEO Jim Farley announced the charging partnership in a post on LinkedIn, stating that fast-charging adapters will be used to enhance the EV ownership experience for Ford drivers. He also mentioned that he tested the adapters and they worked great
Tesla has signed a similar deal with General Motors, which was announced in June. This agreement allows GM customers to use over 12,000 Tesla fast chargers in the United States and Canada. GM CEO Mary Barra stated that her company anticipates saving up to $400 million in planned investment for building out EV charging stations.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has made a significant shift in his strategy by partnering with other companies for charging solutions. Previously, Tesla touted the exclusivity of its charging network and its ability to build reliable charging locations, which would keep consumers from waiting in long lines. However, to become the charging standard, It had to invest heavily in technical and business development.
According to Sam Fiorani, the vice president for global forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, the efforts made to promote the adoption of battery electric vehicles in the United States will eventually result in significant financial benefits. These benefits include receiving environmental credits and fees for charging sessions.
Currently, Tesla operates approximately one in three charging stations in the country. Despite the possibility of a slow adoption of battery electric vehicles domestically, and a smaller fleet than previously anticipated by the government and many automakers six months ago, these efforts will still be worthwhile.