Ford will begin shipping a new Tesla Supercharger NACS adapter to customers today, the company told Engadget in an email. The new adapter was developed in conjunction with Lectron, a major manufacturer of EV chargers, adapters, and cables for Tesla and others.
Ford drivers got access to Tesla Superchargers earlier this year, but the CCS charging port on Ford EVs is not compatible with Tesla’s NACS port. To fix this, the automaker offered owners of its Mach E, F-150 Lightning, and other vehicles a free NACS adapter with a deadline of June 2024.
However, earlier this month, Ford sent a service bulletin to some customers telling them to stop using the adapter. The reason was cited as a “potential issue” that could reduce charging speeds and even damage the charging port. Ford extended its deadline and promised to deliver a replacement adapter in the coming weeks.
While some of the original adapter supply had potential issues, they don’t apply to all adapters; in fact, Ford will make them available to both older and these new models.
“To expedite access to the Tesla Supercharger network for Ford electric vehicle customers, Ford will begin shipping a new Ford-branded complimentary adapter to customers starting October 31,” a company spokesperson wrote. “Customers who have been waiting for a complimentary adapter can receive a new Ford-branded fast charging adapter or an existing approved adapter.”
Other automakers, including Nissan, GM and Subaru, have also signed deals to use Tesla’s Superchargers.
Tesla’s network is a big chunk of DC fast chargers in the U.S., with 19,000 installed, while all other operators have 15,000 combined. Globally, Tesla has installed more than 62,000 Supercharger connectors by Q3 2024, up 23 percent from last year.
This story originally stated that Ford’s new adapters developed with Lectron were replacements for other adapters that Ford had asked owners to return because of potential problems.
This is not the case. Ford still offers older style adapters to EV owners because not all supplies had issues. The new adapters developed with Lectron are intended to expand and extend the supply of adapters to customers, not replace it. We apologize for the error.