Photo: Ford
When Rivian adopted the NACS standard, it also promised to offer its customers complimentary NACS to CCS adapters. The move impressed everyone, especially as other carmakers did not offer a similar gesture. However, as the deadline approaches, it appears that Ford will be the first to send the free adapters to its customers. Rivian owners are now up in arms.
After Tesla open-sourced its charging plug specifications, it began enrolling carmakers in a bid to turn its previous proprietary connector into a de facto charging standard. The ambitious goal started with the name itself, as NACS stands for "North American Charging Standard." In May 2023, Ford was the first carmaker to strike a deal with Tesla to adopt the NACS port and get access to the Supercharger network. By the end of 2023, all major EV manufacturers in North America, with the exception of Stellantis, adopted NACS.
Rivian was among the first to announce switching to a NACS plug after Ford and General Motors. The terms of the deal were pretty standard, with access to Tesla charges starting in "early 2024," the same as the "big boys." The first vehicles equipped with a NACS charging port should begin shipping in 2025. What was different with Rivian was being the only carmaker that promised its customers a complimentary NACS to CCS adapter. This would allow them to use Tesla's Supercharger stations that are not equipped with Magic Dock adapters.
Even though an adapter should not be very expensive, the news was hailed by Rivian owners on forums and social media. As we're approaching the moment when all these third-party EVs gain access to the Supercharger network, they are waiting for Rivian to send them the complimentary adapters. Instead, they discovered that Ford EV owners would be the first to get a free adapter.
Ford CEO Jim Farley made the announcement on Elon Musk's social media network X (formerly Twitter). Farley did not offer a timeline, instead telling Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E owners in the US and Canada they could reserve a complimentary adapter "starting soon." Rumor has it that the Supercharger network will gradually open to third-party EVs starting in March.
The 2021-2024 models are eligible, and the vehicle's VIN will be used to validate the reservation process. Once a customer has an adapter, activation, charging, and payment will be seamless through FordPass or the in-vehicle Public Charging App.
It's unclear what power the adapter will be able to handle. Still, since Ford is the first carmaker to get access to the Supercharger network, we will find out soon enough. Owners hope for 500 amps, which means up to 200 kW on a 400-volt charger. The adapter in Ford's picture looks slightly different from the one Drive Tesla exclusively reported as the official Tesla adapter.
Rivian was among the first to announce switching to a NACS plug after Ford and General Motors. The terms of the deal were pretty standard, with access to Tesla charges starting in "early 2024," the same as the "big boys." The first vehicles equipped with a NACS charging port should begin shipping in 2025. What was different with Rivian was being the only carmaker that promised its customers a complimentary NACS to CCS adapter. This would allow them to use Tesla's Supercharger stations that are not equipped with Magic Dock adapters.
Even though an adapter should not be very expensive, the news was hailed by Rivian owners on forums and social media. As we're approaching the moment when all these third-party EVs gain access to the Supercharger network, they are waiting for Rivian to send them the complimentary adapters. Instead, they discovered that Ford EV owners would be the first to get a free adapter.
Ford CEO Jim Farley made the announcement on Elon Musk's social media network X (formerly Twitter). Farley did not offer a timeline, instead telling Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E owners in the US and Canada they could reserve a complimentary adapter "starting soon." Rumor has it that the Supercharger network will gradually open to third-party EVs starting in March.
The 2021-2024 models are eligible, and the vehicle's VIN will be used to validate the reservation process. Once a customer has an adapter, activation, charging, and payment will be seamless through FordPass or the in-vehicle Public Charging App.
It's unclear what power the adapter will be able to handle. Still, since Ford is the first carmaker to get access to the Supercharger network, we will find out soon enough. Owners hope for 500 amps, which means up to 200 kW on a 400-volt charger. The adapter in Ford's picture looks slightly different from the one Drive Tesla exclusively reported as the official Tesla adapter.
Since Ford and @jimfarley98 have shown off their NACS adapter, here's an exclusive first look at Tesla's official NACS adapter (on the left). Based on the images shared by @Ford (on the right), it looks like they may be using a third party supplier as it doesn't appear to be the… https://t.co/NXb3g4bkFl pic.twitter.com/2pJYybn7e4
— Drive Tesla (@DriveTeslaca) January 31, 2024
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