General Motors says it has updated the software in its electric vehicles so its customers can finally use Tesla’s Supercharging network.
To gain immediate access, owners of electric Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles will need to purchase “GM approved” Tesla adapters through each brand’s smartphone app for $225. Future GM vehicles will come with Tesla’s charging port natively installed.
The announcement comes more than 15 months after GM first announced it would adopt Tesla’s EV charging plug for its vehicles. The automaker had originally said it expected to complete the software coordination with Tesla by “early spring” 2024, but production bottlenecks and layoffs at Tesla have delayed the process.
GM celebrated the news, noting that its customers will now have access to 17,800 Tesla Supercharger plugs for the first time. The lack of convenient and reliable charging is frequently cited in surveys of customers as a major obstacle to purchasing an electric vehicle. And Tesla’s Superchargers are widely seen as among the best EV charging networks in the world.
Starting with Ford last year, nearly every major automaker has publicly committed to adopting the SAE J3400 fast charging plug, also known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS). The process will begin with a software update so non-Tesla vehicles can “talk” to Tesla’s Superchargers, as well as the use of an adapter.
GM says it plans on sourcing its NACS-approved adapters from multiple suppliers. That way, it’s not just relying on Tesla, which makes its own adapters at its gigafactory in Buffalo, New York, where production has been slow. Several other companies also make NACS adapters, including Lectron and Qmerit.
Within the next few years, automakers say they will begin producing EVs with the NACS port built directly into the vehicle, enabling them to charge at Tesla stations without an adapter.
GM says it plans on sourcing its NACS-approved adapters from multiple suppliers
GM’s decision to sell the adapters, rather than give them away for free as some other companies have done, may ruffle some feathers. Both Ford and Rivian gave out free adapters for a limited time before making customers buy them. But GM said it won’t be offering any complimentary period to its customers.
GM is also updating its brand apps to allow customers to search for available Superchargers, check station status, initiate a charge, and pay for charging sessions. Tesla has said that non-Tesla owners would have to pay a little more to charge their vehicles than Tesla owners.
Tesla had a head start in building its own EV charging network, but other automakers are intent on catching up. GM is also involved in several projects to build new fast EV chargers, including with EVgo and a consortium of other automakers through the Ionna joint venture.
Following GM, Tesla has said that it will coordinate next with Volvo, Polestar, Nissan, and Mercedes-Benz to grant their customers access to Superchargers.