Ford EVs Can Now Charge at Tesla Superchargers. Here’s How – CNET

di Antonello Cicciù1 Marzo 2024ICT

Owners of Ford’s F-150 Lightning electric pickup and Mustang Mach-E SUV gain access to over 15,000 new fast charging stations across the US and Canada on Thursday morning. Ford has announced that compatibility between its EVs and Tesla’s Supercharger network goes online and opens online reservations for the free adapter hardware that will make it all possible.

Ford was the first automaker to announce the adoption of Tesla’s NACS standard and compatibility with the Supercharger network in 2023. (Since then, every major automaker that sells or plans to sell EVs in North America has also announced similar plans.) Now,  Ford is also the first to make good on its promise to bring Supercharger access to its customers. Current Ford EV owners will be able to use a CCS-to-NACS adapter (or an adapter built into Tesla’s Magic Dock Supercharger stations) to connect and charge their vehicles.

How to get a free NACS adapter from Ford

Ford is offering that adapter to its retail customers for free for a limited time. Lightning and Mach-E owners will need to head over to ford.com/FastChargingAdapter where they’ll be able to log in with their BlueOval Charge Network account (or register for one) to reserve and order Ford’s Fast Charging Adapter.

The adapter is complementary if ordered before June 30, 2024. Ford will charge $230 (inclusive of tax and shipping) for orders placed after that date. Ford will notify owners of the progress of their order via email and the adapter should ship directly to their home address shortly after reserving.

How to charge a Ford EV at a Tesla Supercharger

Drivers will be able to search for and find Supercharger stations in the FordPass smartphone app or Ford’s Charge Assist in-dash application. There, the over 15,000 available Superchargers will be listed alongside the rest of the Blue Oval network of CCS-equipped DC fast charging stations and Level 2 destination chargers. Ford says that Supercharger search is coming to Google Maps via Android Auto, Apple Maps via CarPlay and its own Ford Connected in-dash navigation software in the future.

Upon arrival, drivers will connect their NACS adapter to the Supercharger cable at the station and then plug the adapter into their vehicle’s CCS port. Ford’s phone and infotainment apps store account and payment information, enabling Plug & Charge compatibility for Ford EVs at Superchargers. Owners won’t have to use a credit card onsite. Simply plug in and the EV should automatically authenticate with Tesla’s network and start charging.

With the addition of the Supercharger network, Ford drivers will now have access to more than 28,000 DC fast chargers across the US and Canada. The automaker says this is a big step toward addressing concerns around charging infrastructure availability, which it cites as one of the largest barriers to EV adoption.