Eighteen months ago, US carmaker Ford sparked a transformation when it inked a deal to give owners of its electric vehicles access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
In a surprising move, automakers from GM and Hyundai to Rivian and Mercedes have followed suit, with nearly every major automaker agreeing to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) by the end of 2023, promising that adapters will arrive soon to EV owners.
Most non-Tesla customers are still waiting, but GM’s announcement earlier this week may be a sign of optimism.
EV owners of GM vehicles like the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Cadillac Lyriq will now officially have access to Tesla Superchargers. All GM EV owners need to do is purchase a GM-certified adapter that will allow their car to charge at Tesla’s ports and wait.
There could be more soon: TechCrunch is tracking which brands have access to the Tesla Supercharging Network and will update this list.
Transitioning to Tesla EV Charging Standards
In November 2022, Tesla released the design of its EV charging connector, encouraging network operators and automakers to adopt the technology and make it the new standard in North America, where at the time all other automakers were using the Combined Charging Standard (CCS).
Even though Tesla’s charging network was considered far superior due to its robust, user-friendly design and the ease of paying to charge your EV, mass adoption seemed unlikely at the time.
Six months later, Ford became the first company to partner with Tesla in a deal to provide customers with access to more than 12,000 Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada. But this wasn’t just about providing special adapters to Ford EV owners: Ford committed to integrating NACS ports, rather than CCS, into future EVs.
Rivian, GM, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Volkwagen, Porsche, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Lucid and Stellantis followed.
Tesla Charging FAQs
Currently, there are 36,499 publicly available NACS ports in the U.S. (though some of these may belong to other EV charging companies that have adopted Tesla’s standard) and approximately 16,925 CCS ports. This is despite federal funding explicitly being put into building CCS chargers.
EV owners who insist on a CCS port will have to wait for a manufacturer-certified adapter. There are third-party adapters, like Lectron’s Vortex Plug ($199), that claim to comply with certain safety and performance standards, but Tesla’s website says such adapters are prohibited.
A GM spokesperson told TechCrunch that its adapters are specifically designed to protect GM EV batteries while they’re charging, and that any damage to vehicle parts caused by using a non-GM-approved adapter will not be covered under the vehicle warranty.
In late August, Tesla announced it was ramping up production of adapters for its X. This statement, combined with GM’s announcement, may encourage more non-Tesla EVs to visit Supercharger stations. All EVs will be required to download the Tesla app to pay for charging.
Tesla Supercharge Access Checklist
General Motors
As of September 2024, GM has finally updated the software on its Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC EVs to allow customers to use Tesla Superchargers, but if you want instant access, you’ll need to purchase a “GM-approved” adapter through the app for $225.
GM did not say how long deliveries would take. A GM spokesman said the company already has adapters in stock and is working with multiple suppliers to produce approved NACS DC fast-charging adapters.
Starting in 2025, GM EVs will be equipped with NACS charging ports.
Ford
Some Ford customers officially had access to Tesla Superchargers in February, but ongoing supply constraints are delaying deliveries of free fast-charging adapters to most customers (though Ford says the delays are affecting a “portion” of customers).
Current Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning owners who haven’t yet ordered an adapter can do so through the Ford Pass app. The deadline to apply for the free adapter is September 30.
Rivian
EV startup Rivian officially gained access to 15,000 Superchargers across North America on March 18, 2024. At the time, Rivian promised to start shipping adapters to customers in April. A Rivian spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company began deliveries this spring and continues to ship adapters as they arrive.
TechCrunch will update the list once the automakers officially gain access.
