Putting competition aside, Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk and Ford Motor Co. F CEO Jim Farley announced via Twitter Spaces a new collaboration between the two companies.
And unlike the night before, when Musk's Twitter Space featuring 2024 presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was plagued by technical issues, tonight's discussion went by with nary a glitch.
Farley kicked off by saying that by early 2024, "all of Ford's existing and future customers will have access to Tesla's 12,000 superchargers across the U.S. [and Canada]."
Ford released a statement afterward elaborating more about the charging stations, adding that the Tesla superchargers will be "... in addition to the over 10,000 DC fast-chargers that are already part of the BlueOval Charge Network. This will give Ford EV customers unprecedented access to fast-charging."
Ford currently has three EVs on the market: the F-150 Lightning pickup truck, the E-transit van and the Mustang Mach-EV SUV.
Tesla is known as the leader in the EV market and currently makes the Model S, Model Y, Model 3 and Model X, as well as a semi-truck. Its Cybertruck is in production and is supposed to hit the roads by the end of 2023. The Roadster is not currently in production, although the company has started accepting reservations for the second-generation version of the supercar.
See Also: Elon Musk Teases Cybertruck Progress Again: 'Tough Product To Design ... But It'll Be Great!'
Ford's EV customers will be able to access the Superchargers via a Tesla-made adapter and software integration along with activation and payment via FordPass or Ford Pro Intelligence.
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, the release stated.
Musk said the two companies had been working on this for a while and was super excited to have a "partnership with Ford ... it has a tremendous reputation and makes great vehicles."
Farley revealed a possible reason why this partnership took place: While driving back from on a family vacation from Lake Tahoe to Monterey, Farley's children noted the amount of Tesla superchargers they saw on the trip. "It became obvious to me the job your team had done," said Farley.
In addition to the locations, Farley added that he loved the reliability and Tesla's routing software.
"Our goal is to be helpful as possible with the acceleration to sustainable transport," said Musk.
Farley said the company will set up different payment options, maybe subscriptions, so the adapter won't be cost-prohibitive.
Photo: Heisenberg Media via Wikimedia Commons; Courtesy Ford Co.
The article was updated June 6 with information about the Roadster.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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