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General Motors (GM) has announced its decision to adopt Tesla’s North American charging plug standard and provide GM electric-vehicle buyers access to the Tesla Supercharger network. This move follows a similar decision by Ford, resulting in three major EV sellers in North America agreeing on a standard for charging hardware. GM CEO Mary Barra and Tesla chief Elon Musk made the announcement during a Twitter Spaces event.
The agreement between Tesla, Ford, and GM has significant commercial and public policy implications. The Biden administration had made the adoption of a rival charging system standard a requirement for federal subsidies for new charging stations on busy roadways. The alliance challenges this requirement.
The convergence on a single charging system is seen as beneficial for wider consumer adoption of electric vehicles. Tesla’s Superchargers currently account for about 60 percent of fast chargers in the US and Canada. Consumer Reports senior policy analyst Chris Harto believes this agreement could lead to more automakers adopting the Tesla standard.
For GM and Ford, the deals involve giving their customers access to Tesla’s extensive rapid charging network, with the hope that the benefits outweigh the risk of customers choosing Tesla for their next purchase. The alliance also puts pressure on other automakers and independent charging network operators that had adopted a different charging standard.
GM plans to equip its EVs with connectors based on Tesla’s North American Charging Standard design starting in 2025. Current GM EV owners will be able to use Tesla fast chargers in North America, and adapters will be provided. Tesla has assured that it will provide an even playing field for all vehicles accessing its Supercharger network.
Shares of charging companies ChargePoint and EVgo were negatively affected by the announcement. Ford had previously reached a similar agreement with Tesla, allowing access to Tesla Superchargers for Ford’s electric vehicle owners starting in early 2024.
