Ford Enhances Fast-Charger Infrastructure for Electric Vehicle Customers

Photo Source: Ford

Ford was one of the initial brands to state it would be switching the charging ports on its vehicles from today’s (2024) Combined Charging System (CCS) outlets to the so-called North American Charging Standard (NACS) outlets. As such, the automaker announced on February 29, 2024, that vehicles from its model range, such as the F-150 Lightning and the Mach-E, will be the first of any non-Tesla automaker to gain access to the vaunted Supercharger network spanning across the United States and Canada.

Jim Farley, Ford President and CEO, expressed the significance of making the change, declaring, “Starting today, Ford EV customers will have access to more than 15,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling fast charging options on the BlueOval Charge Network. This move will improve the public charging experience by giving our customers even more choice and is a vital part of our growth as an EV brand.”

Even though it is planned that Ford vehicles will make the switch to NACS ports in the 2025 model year, that does not mean existing owners of Ford electric vehicles must suddenly resign themselves to owning obsolete paperweights. On the contrary, Blue Oval suppliers have been busy providing fast-charging CCS-NACS adapters to the company, ones which easily slip onto a Tesla charger and permit it to plug into a CCS port. Moreover, judging by their appearance in photographs, the adapter does not seem any more challenging to utilize than one which permits a USB-A to plug into a USB-C port.

Accessibility of Fast-Charger Adapters

Ford claims it is making these adapters available for free to new and existing customers enrolled in the BlueOval Charge Network, an initiative spanning until the end of June 2024. Beyond that date, the adapters will cost approximately $230 (including estimated tax and shipping). To clarify, F-150 Lightning and Mach-E owners will need to head over to ford.com/FastChargingAdapter where they will 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 automaker will notify owners of the progress of their order via email, and the adapter should ship directly to their home address shortly after reserving.

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 claims that Supercharger search is coming to Apple Maps via CarPlay, Google Maps via Android Auto, and its own Ford Connected in-dash navigation software in the future.

What the Adapters Mean for Electric Vehicles

It is impossible to overstate the significance of this development. The state of public charging in the United States and Canada is a sorry affair in most areas, plagued with broken or sluggish chargers, which often require one of several different applications to activate. Indeed, as electric vehicle prices come down, Ford states that improving access to reliable fast charging is critical to help more customers confidently select an electric vehicle. That said, Tesla managed to build one of the only charging networks whose stations are as well-placed as they are reliable.

Ford is but the first of many automakers to sign an agreement with Tesla, so there should be no shortage of customers. To learn more about the adapters Ford is offering, please come visit NYE Ford. Take a look around at our new vehicle inventory or, if you are interested, we also have quality pre-owned vehicles available for purchase.