DEARBORN, Mich. — On Thursday morning, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a huge announcement on Twitter Spaces. In a rare move, Tesla will open its Supercharger network to Ford customers. The overall goal is to accelerate EV adoption.
“Working with Elon and his team, I’m really excited for our industry and the Ford customers… we’re announcing that in early 2024 all of Ford’s existing customers and future customers will have access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers,” Farley said. “We’re really excited. We’re ramping production and we think this is huge move for our industry and for all electric customers. About a year later, we’re going to be equipping our Fords with the NACS interface. Elon I want to thank you and your team. It’s been great working with you so far.”
The two CEOs did not discuss which Superchargers would be part of the historic deal or how they would be selected. However, 12,000 Superchargers is a very good start. It will allow Ford owners to travel long distances with their EVs and have peace of mind with recharging.
Tesla uses their own proprietary NACS (North American charging standard) charging cord and plug. Most other automakers use the CCS (combined charging system) charging cord and plug with their EVs. Future Ford EVs will adopt the NACS plug in 2025— will other automakers follow this decision?
“It’s certainly super exciting to be in partnership with Ford,” Musk explained. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ford as a company and makes great vehicles. This is something where we’re super happy to support Ford vehicles with the Tesla Supercharging network and also provide API access. A Ford vehicle can charge at a Tesla Supercharger using the Ford app seamlessly.”
Tesla built, operates and maintains its Supercharger network. It is the largest and most reliable EV charging network across North America. There are 45,000 Superchargers globally with 12,000 of them in the U.S. and Canada. New Superchargers are going online just every couple of days.
“The idea is we don’t want the Tesla Supercharger network to be like a walled garden,” Musk said. “We want it to be something that is supportive of electrification and sustainable transport in general. We are very much appreciative of Ford’s interest in partnering on this front.”
Ford owners will have to pay to use the Superchargers just as Tesla owners do. However, it is not yet known if they will pay the same price per kW or more.
To find a Tesla Super Charger near you, go to: https://www.tesla.com/findus
Listen to the discussion between Jim Farley and Elon Musk:
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) May 25, 2023
Tesla uses their own proprietary NACS (North American charging standard) charging cord and plug. 
Tesla Superchargers 
Future Ford EVs built after 2025 will adopt the Tesla NACS charging port.