GM follows Ford, will use Tesla Superchargers in 2024
Four is the magic number when it comes to a new tie-up between General Motors and Tesla. The morning after GM announced that its vehicles will gain access to Tesla’s network of Superchargers in 2024, Reuters reports that GM’s and Tesla’s stocks were both up about four points. Stock for independent charge-station manufacturers ChargePoint and EVGo were both down about four points in late trading on Thursday.
GM’s Tesla partnership mirrors Ford’s, announced last month. The Michigan-based automaker said that, beginning in the spring of 2024, its vehicles will be able to use Tesla’s Superchargers, which make up about 60 percent of the fast (250–300 kW) chargers in the United States. Tesla’s charger network is known for being well-maintained, extensive, and concentrated in high-traffic areas.
GM’s announcement was made on Thursday on Twitter, of which Tesla founder Elon Musk is the owner. GM said it will equip its electric vehicles with adapters next year, and build EVs with connectors based on the Tesla North American Charging Standard design starting in 2025.
We're teaming up with @tesla to enhance your electric vehicle experience. More charging stations, less range anxiety, more sustainable journeys. It's about your convenience, not our competition. #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/D4joovLjPh
— General Motors (@GM) June 8, 2023
The Ford announcement, made last month on Twitter with Ford CEO Jim Farley, is similar. Initially, Ford and GM customers will have access to about 12,000 Tesla chargers in 2024, and more in 2025.
“We love the locations, we love the reliability, your routing software, the ease of use of the connector, the reliability of it,” Farley said.
“The most important thing is we advance the electric vehicle revolution,” Musk said Thursday.
“In order to drive EV adoption, we need to have a robust charging infrastructure. And so I’m really excited to announce our collaboration with you and with Tesla,” GM CEO Mary Barra said Thursday in a Twitter Spaces conversation with the Tesla CEO. The move “nearly doubles” the number of chargers GM customers can use initially, Barra said.
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I’m no Tesla/Musk fan, but this seems like a great deal, as they had already jumped way out in front with their charger infrastructure. It was a mystery to me why the whole charging thing wasn’t mandated as a standardized design to begin with – or at least certainly when our government started pushing the changeover to EV-centric transportation. But now that two of “the Big Three” (old terminology that likely doesn’t apply anymore) are on board, we’ll probably see the Tesla model become the ipso-facto reality.
I’ve said before that I’m not anti-EV, I’m just not for “cramming-down-my-throat-ism”. I’m just now preparing for a 1500 mile road trip that, if I had a suitable range vehicle and reliable, handy charging network along my route, I’d gladly undertake in an EV. But nothing that I know of exists today that will agreeably replace my regular road vehicle and the gas stations I’ll visit along the way.
This is the best news ever. Now everyone can enjoy the unequaled driving experience of an EV. It won’t be long before we can shut down gas stations forever.
Well, I think it will be a BIT longer than you seem to suggest…
I seriously doubt they are going to replace gas stations with charging stations anytime soon. There are – and will be – ICE vehicles on the roads for decades to come. And Big Oil ain’t gonna just roll over and play dead because the EV-to-ICE ratio goes up by a few percent. But since they’re coming, might as well have the infrastructure to support them, doncha think?
I wonder why it took these companies so long to sign up to use what is essentially the industry standard. Still not going to buy a GM EV.
It’s not just car companies that are adjusting. Charging companies too. BTW, as long time EV driver (with a couple of antique ICE vehicles) I’ve noticed a nice change in tone here. Any mention of EVs used to elicit seemingly endless anti-EV comments. Some not very polite. Not so much anymore. https://electrek.co/2023/06/12/tesla-nacs-connector-gains-support-list-companies/#more-304421
I do think this is a great step forward. Reminds me of the VHS vs Beta situation so long ago. It is time for standardization. Hear that Stellantis, Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan, Audi, Honda, Jaguar….and on and on.
Also agree, it will be a long time before gas stations will be obsolete. I believe there will be some great advances, both for ICE vehicles, hydrogen, and who knows what! Just a whole new age.
(And I’ll still need gas for my Triumph and Miata.)
I wonder how the Tesla drivers are going to feel when they have to wait for Fords and Chevys to finish charging before they can get in. Right now the only Supercharger station I know of near me in South Carolina isn’t utilized very much, I usually only see one or two cars at the 6-8 station charging area. Of course I drive by occasionally in the middle of the day. In any case, it may take a while in some locations, but in areas where the superchargers are highly used it could become an issue. I agree with one thing though — there should be an industry standard connector and communication protocol so a universal charger can be made. The Tesla supercharger standard is as good as any — better than some.