SMART: Ford Just Made a Brilliant, Blindingly Obvious Move by Embracing Tesla Charging. “As everyone knows, Tesla’s Supercharger network is the gold standard of EV charging and has been since the earliest days of its rollout. And it’s not even close. . . . But it’s not just the sheer number of Supercharging stations that matters, it’s the user experience. Tesla chargers just work. Period. When they don’t, Tesla owners know which ones to avoid well in advance, either through their car or mobile app. All of this is why Ford CEO Jim Farley joined Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Thursday, May 25, for a Twitter Spaces announcement that Ford EVs will be able to use the Tesla Supercharger network starting early in 2024 (via NACS to CCS adapters) and that in 2025, Ford EVs would come equipped with the NACS hardware and software to make the charging experience completely seamless.”
Plus: “During a recent road trip, I watched the driver of a $160,000+ Lucid Air attempt to charge his car at a broken EV charger—in the rain—behind a gas station off Interstate 5 between LA and Sacramento. I was inside a fast food restaurant across the parking lot (tending to my hungry 2-year old), as the poor guy struggled to get the charger to connect to his car. He re-positioned his car twice so that the CCS chargers on each side could reach the port— unaware that the system itself was broken. There were no clear signs that the charger was offline. The screen didn’t show an error message, and any hastily made signs from other travelers attempting to convey the status had been washed away by the rain. I know this because just a few minutes earlier, I was that guy. This is the exact opposite experience you’d expect from a luxury car brand, and I say this not to call out Lucid, but all EV manufacturers entering the space. If you want the masses to switch from gas to electric, and to your brand specifically, you must make the charging experience consistently excellent.”
That’s true. And since it’s true, plug-in hybrids are clearly superior to all-electric vehicles in today’s environment.
Related: Ford’s Deal To Use Tesla Charging Connector And Superchargers Could Kill CCS.
Ford Motor company has announced that starting next year, Fords will get access to Tesla’s supercharger network via an adapter sent to all owners, and later, new Fords will be made with the Tesla connector on them, allowing use without an adapter. This may mean the death of the “standard” CCS connector used by non-Tesla cars, and there is a strong case that it should. Whether it means the death of the J1772 slower charging plug is a different story.
Conventional wisdom is that J1772 and CCS are “industry standards” and thus the sure winners. They are also encoded into various laws creating subsidies for the installation of charging stations. But in spite of being a “standard” the Tesla connector is found on 2-3 times as many cars as CCS/J1772 because Tesla has, and continues to outsell all other carmakers combined. Is the “standard” the one chosen by the most companies, or the one chosen by the most people?
Eventually, adoptions usually win out.