Tesla’s supercharger deals with GM, Ford are ‘the cheapest forms of advertising’.
Starting next year, owners of electric vehicles made by General Motors and Ford will be able to charge their EVs at many of Tesla’s charging stations, the largest such network in the country.
As part of their move, both Detroit-area automakers have decided to adopt Tesla’s EV charging connector, the plug that links an electric vehicle to a charging station.
With GM and Ford joining Tesla’s charging system, the rest of the auto industry may be forced to follow suit. If so, it would provide a major victory to Tesla, which would be assured a new and guaranteed revenue stream for years to come.
At present, two main types of EV charging plugs exist: Tesla’s North American Charging Standard and CCS, used by nearly all other automakers. It’s not yet clear which other automakers might join Ford and GM.
With 17,000 charging plugs, Tesla commands the largest network in the United States. Its stations can charge faster than most others. They’re often more reliable, too, and exist in safer locations closer to prime travel corridors.
Under the new agreements with GM and Ford, EVs from those companies will be able, starting next year, to charge at 12,000 Tesla Supercharger plugs. Tesla is the top seller of EVs in the U.S., with GM No. 2 and Ford No. 3. Because those three companies control so much of the EV market, analysts say other automakers are likely to sign up with Tesla to avoid being left at a competitive disadvantage.
