The electric vehicle (EV) war between Tesla and Ford has just taken a surprising turn. Electrek reports that the competing companies have announced a partnership that will see Ford install Tesla-style charging ports on its EVs moving forward.
Tesla had previously branded its proprietary charging port as the "North American Charging Standard" (NACS). Now, it appears that the EV pioneering company has willed that name into reality. Ford will provide current customers with an adapter that allows its existing EVs access to the Tesla Supercharger network and will add the NACS plug on future models.
"Starting early next year, Ford EV customers will have access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada," the company said in a news release. "In 2025, Ford will offer next-generation electric vehicles with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector built-in, eliminating the need for an adapter to access Tesla Superchargers."
Electrek speculated that with one of Tesla's main competitors now a partner, other automakers might be forced to follow suit and make the NACS the true standard for EVs in North America.
Responding to Electrek's coverage, commenters agreed that this move is a win for the EV industry as a whole.
"Great news, maybe? Having two competing charging standards is toxic for EVs in North America. Like the rest of the world has already done, North America needs to pick one standard and run with it," one commenter wrote.
"Elon has always said that Tesla does not intend to use the Supercharger network as a moat. It's nice to see that was more than just empty talk," another added.
Of course, this charging port détente does not mean the two companies will stop competing for customers. A price war has been brewing in the EV industry, with increasing competition resulting in both companies lowering prices on some of their models.
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