Ford Motor is introducing Tesla Supercharging capabilities for its electric vehicle (EV) owners in the U.S. and Canada starting Thursday. However, the initial rollout is expected to face supply constraints.
Ford was the first automaker to announce an agreement with Tesla to use its Supercharger network. Since then, many other U.S. automakers have followed suit. As part of these agreements, companies like Ford will integrate Tesla’s charging port into their future EV models.
Currently, an adapter is required to connect non-Tesla vehicles, which use different charging technology, to Tesla’s network. Ford anticipates that this partnership will more than double the availability of fast chargers for its customers, though it may take time to distribute the adapters to all users.
“We are facing supply constraints as we proceed, and we anticipate that demand will exceed supply in the initial phases of the launch,” said Ken Williams, Ford’s director of charging and energy services, during a media briefing. “We will manage the demand on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Williams did not specify the number of adapters currently available for Ford’s EV customers, who have purchased approximately 140,000 Ford EVs in the U.S. since 2023. Ford expects to begin shipping the adapters to customers in late March.
Tesla, which designed the adapter and is managing its distribution to automakers, did not respond to requests for detailed comments.
Fast chargers can add hundreds of miles of driving range in an hour or less, unlike less powerful chargers that may take several hours or more to achieve the same range.
Last year, automakers began adopting Tesla’s charging technology to access its extensive network of chargers, either in place of or alongside building their own chargers, or waiting for others, such as the federal government, to develop them.
According to a Ford spokesman, the company is neither receiving revenue from nor paying Tesla for access to the Tesla Supercharger network.
Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E retail customers can reserve a free charging adapter through Ford’s owner app or by visiting Ford.com/FastChargingAdapter before June 30. After this date, the adapters will be priced at $230 each.
To reserve an adapter on the website, customers need to log in or enroll in Ford’s “BlueOval Charge Network” via the FordPass App. Those not yet enrolled will be prompted to sign up before completing their adapter reservation.
The adapters will be shipped based on the order of reservations, and some customers may face unspecified wait times depending on when they register.
To order a Tesla adapter for the F-150 Lightning or Mustang Mach-E:
1. Visit Ford’s dedicated site and log in to FordPass.
2. Click the ‘Reserve your adapter at no cost’ button to start the process.
3. Verify or update your shipping information, then click ‘Reserve.’
4. A confirmation screen will appear with information about an upcoming automated over-the-air software update and a link to Ford’s FAQ Hub.
5. You will also receive a confirmation email with a link to track the status of your reservation.
Ford owners can use the Tesla charger through the FordPass App or the Charge Assist App on their vehicle’s touchscreen, eliminating the need for onsite credit card use. They will also be able to use Tesla’s app.
The adapter connects a Combined Charging System (CCS) charger port, the U.S. industry standard, to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) system.
Under the Ford-Tesla agreement, as of Thursday, Ford owners will have access to over 15,000 Tesla Superchargers in the U.S. and Canada.
Tesla reports having more than 50,000 Supercharger connectors globally, though it does not specify the number in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Energy states that there are approximately 6,900 publicly available CCS fast chargers in the country.
With the addition of Tesla Superchargers, Ford’s BlueOval Charge Network now offers access to more than 126,000 chargers, including over 28,000 fast chargers.
