GM and Tesla Partnership

General Motors announced on Thursday that it has reached a partnership agreement with Tesla to allow GM electric vehicles (EVs) to charge at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers starting next spring. GM will also build Tesla’s preferred North American Charging Standard connectors into its EVs starting in 2025.

Unified Standard for North America

The automaker said it plans to integrate Tesla’s Supercharger network into its own vehicle and mobile apps. GM CEO Mary Barra said during a Twitter Spaces conversation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, “In order to drive EV adoption, we need to have a robust charging infrastructure. And so, I’m really excited to announce our collaboration with you and with Tesla. We have a real opportunity here to really drive this to be the unified standard for North America, which I think will even enable more mass adoption.”

Ford’s Deal with Tesla

GM follows Ford Motor Co., which last month said it would give owners of its EVs access to about 12,000 Tesla Superchargers starting next spring through adapters. Ford also will stop building EVs with traditional Combined Charging System ports starting in 2025, instead using the NACS port used by Tesla. Tesla operates about 17,000 charging connectors, and its fast-charging network is considered both the largest and most reliable in the U.S. Ford’s deal with Tesla is the first such agreement with another automaker, and some analysts have said it could open the door to future such partnerships.

Improving the Charging Experience

Automakers are trying to improve the charging experience before they launch EVs in high volumes. Nationwide, one in five charging attempts failed last year, according to J.D. Power. Tesla’s Supercharger network tends to have much better charger uptime than peers. Fewer Tesla drivers face charger outages and, if a charger is down, the driver typically finds a working charger at the same location, the firm said in February.

Benefits for Tesla

Tesla’s decision to open its charging network to rival automakers has a few benefits for Tesla, including access to federal money for new charging stations. But it also removes one of the EV maker’s biggest advantages over competitors, analysts say.

CCS Port

The CCS port was becoming the national standard charging connector, and many charging companies with CCS ports are expected to apply for funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. The CCS port runs one connection between the charger and the EV, said Conrad Layson, senior alternative propulsion analyst at AutoForecast Solutions. Tesla’s NACS port exchanges more information and usually leads to a smoother charging experience, he said.

Tesla’s Support for GM

Musk, who has complained about not receiving enough credit for advancing EV adoption from the Biden administration, said his company will fully support GM vehicles at Tesla Superchargers and not give preference to Tesla owners. Musk has said in the past that he’s willing to help rival brands accelerate EV adoption in order to fight climate change. “You have our full support and we’re incredibly excited to partner with you on this and just really make it a fantastic electric vehicle experience, whether somebody is driving a car from GM or from Tesla,” Musk told Barra during the announcement on Twitter, which he also owns.

Conclusion

With the opening of the Supercharger network, most EV owners will have access to both the Tesla network and competitors such as Electrify America, EVgo and Chargepoint. Although Tesla and the rival networks use different charging plugs, adapters make it possible for most EVs to use either charger standard using an adapter. This partnership between GM and Tesla is a significant step towards a unified charging standard in North America, which will drive the adoption of EVs and ultimately help reduce carbon emissions.

Laurence Iliff, Hannah Lutz and Audrey LaForest contributed to this report.