Ford NACS Adapter Works Completely With Tesla Supercharger

It is not simply that Tesla has extra electrical car fast-chargers than anybody else. They simply work higher, too. However beginning with Ford’s EVs, much more automobiles are about to be utilizing these stations as they open up entry by way of new charging adapters. Will the Tesla Supercharging expertise be simply nearly as good when it has to energy so many new and completely different automobiles?

If a take a look at of Ford’s new Quick Charging Adapter is any indication, the reply is: thus far, so good. 

Our man Tom Moloughney from the State of Cost YouTube channel was among the many first to really use a Ford Quick Charging Adapter at a Tesla station yesterday, because of the oldsters at Ford, who met him at one in all his native stations so he may strive it out on his F-150 Lightning. (I ought to be aware that Tom did this charging take a look at instantly after flying dwelling from the Arctic Circle, the place he was testing a Polestar 3 prototype; the person places within the work, people.) You may see his full preliminary take a look at within the video above. 

As InsideEVs reported yesterday, the Ford Quick Charging Adapter is obtainable to all Ford EV house owners freed from cost till June 30. It may be ordered on-line or by way of the FordPass app. Beginning July 1, it prices $230, together with taxes and delivery. The unit is rated to take as much as 1,000 amps and 500 volts. 

The adapter has no communication protocols, so it technically ought to work with all EVs and never simply Ford’s, however there are software program authentication points with Tesla’s community which will stop that. Then once more, perhaps not—keep tuned on the finish of Tom’s video for extra on that entrance. 

There are some caveats to Ford’s adapter. It doesn’t work with older V2 Supercharger stations, so use Ford or Tesla’s apps to find out suitable ones, and it solely does DC quick charging; this won’t work with the usual Tesla vacation spot chargers. But it surely’s nonetheless an enormous coup for Ford drivers. 

Within the video, Ford rep Jovina Younger stated the security options of the adapter and the way it interacts with the car and charger to stop any overheating or unintended removing. It is being issued to house owners of the Lightning, Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit van. “We anticipate demand goes to be a lot larger than provide to begin,” Younger stated, so put in an order if you have not already. 

So how did the adapter carry out? Tom pulled as much as the Tesla station with a 27% state of cost (SOC) on his Lightning. Throughout that point, the Supercharger delivered as a lot as 173 kW of energy (and greater than his Prolonged-range Lightning battery is formally able to) with an “preliminary enhance” that got here in a short time. It will definitely tapered off to a fee of about 140 kW, which is typical, but it surely nonetheless bumped Tom’s truck to 47% SOC after simply 10 minutes. 

Dependable, quick, seamless—similar to you’d anticipate at a Tesla Supercharger. “I am tremendous impressed with this,” Tom stated. “This actually goes to liberate Ford electrical car house owners.” 

It should liberate plenty of electrical car house owners, in reality. Practically each different automaker has signed on to realize entry to Tesla’s charging community this yr by way of an adapter just like the one Ford makes, and within the coming years, Tesla’s slimmer North American Charging Customary (NACS) plug will turn out to be normal tools on the overwhelming majority of EVs from the manufacturing facility—making it really the North American normal for charging.

This not solely does away with the cumbersome Mixed Charging System (CCS) plug for DC quick charging, it additionally permits these EVs to make use of Tesla’s huge community as nicely. (As for Tesla, present house owners might grumble about having to share stalls with different EVs which have plugs in awkward areas, however the transfer will unlock billions in income for the automaker over the following few years.) 

However as Tom mentions on the finish, issues are about to get very attention-grabbing on the Tesla Supercharging entrance. Not solely are many new automakers getting added to the community this yr, extra third-party charging adapters are coming to market quickly. Ford would not advocate you utilize these for security causes and Tesla forbids it too, however everyone knows how persons are. That’s going to result in some attention-grabbing experiments as non-Tesla EVs try and cost at these stations, maybe some extra efficiently than others. Count on extra charging adapter assessments from Tom very quickly. 

Within the meantime, Christmas got here in February for Ford’s EV house owners, as a result of they now have 15,000 further and excellent DC quick charging stations to make use of. And it is the beginning of each different kind of EV having the ability to have the identical sort of comfort and minimal vary anxiousness as Tesla house owners. 

“This can be a good day for electrical automobiles in America,” Tom stated. “As soon as the mud settles in a couple of years, we’ll be rather a lot higher off.”