Ford has shipped a free North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter to every Ford electric vehicle (EV) owner that requested one, the company says.
“From customer reservation No. 1 in Austin, Texas, to customer reservation No. 139,936 in Waconia, Minnesota, we are truly grateful for those who have charged with us (and patiently waited for us),” the company says.
If that statement doesn’t make sense to you, we’ll explain.
From Multiple Charging Systems to One
Drivers of gas-powered cars can refill at any gas station in America. Until recently, though, electric vehicle (EV) drivers had to bypass many public charging stations, looking for the exact one that would serve their vehicle.
Tesla cars come with a charging plug of one shape, which it named the NACS port. Most other manufacturers used a different plug, the Combined Charging System (CCS). A few used a third, called CHAdeMO.
Tesla’s massive nationwide Supercharger network served only Tesla products. Everyone else made do with a patchwork of smaller networks that served CCS or CHAdeMO users.
Since most EV charging is done at home, this wasn’t necessarily a day-to-day problem for many. However, it limited EV drivers’ road trip possibilities.
Last year, Ford and Tesla reached a landmark agreement that allowed Ford to build the NACS plug into its future EVs and let Ford drivers charge at Superchargers. Shortly thereafter, other automakers, one by one, signed on.
Tesla agreed to let other charging networks build the NACS cord into its chargers. It’s taking time for Tesla to reprogram its system to work with each brand. But, by 2026, most EV owners will be able to recharge at Superchargers, and most new EVs will come with the NACS port built in.
For now, drivers who own a CCS-equipped car need an adapter to use Superchargers. Ford provided them free of charge on request. It endured a hiccup when it had to replace some faulty adapters, but the company now says it has fulfilled every order.
Still Need One? You’ll Have to Buy It
You’re not entirely out of luck if you own a Ford EV and haven’t ordered your free adapter. However, you may not get a complimentary one.
Ford says, “Starting today, the Ford Fast Charging Adapter—co-developed with Lectron—is available for purchase.” It currently costs $200 plus shipping on Ford.com.