⚡ Connector Drama: Why Ford got caught in flagrante with Tesla 🤯

Happy Monday. This is Electric Avenue. The twists and turns of the electric car industry can stir up more drama than a reality TV show. Which American car maker just shocked the nation with a move more scandalous than the Vanderpump #Scandoval? Find out below…

This week, on The Real Housewives of Electric Avenue:

• Connector Drama: Why Ford got caught in flagrante with Tesla 🤯

• 3 Links 🔗

• Memes of the week 🤡

Let's get into it!

Ford caught in flagrante 🤯

EV twitter and LinkedIn ran hot this week. What happened?

Elon Musk and the Ford CEO got on a Twitter space to announce what was previously inconceivable: Ford struck a deal with Tesla to gain access the Supercharger network.

We break the whole drama down for y’all:

1. What’s the deal between Ford and Tesla?

2. What are the implications for Ford?

3. What does it mean for other fast charging operators?

I. What’s the deal between Ford and Tesla?

To start off let’s have a look at what the deal includes:

• Ford customers will get access to >12,000 Tesla Superchargers by early 2024 via a Tesla-made NACS—>CCS adapter.

• Ford will have access to Tesla’s API to enable live charger availability status display in Ford’s navigation system and mobile app.

• Ford drivers will be able to pay at Tesla Superchargers via the FordPass charging service.

• Starting in 2025, Ford will add Tesla’s NACS connector inlet to its next-generation electric vehicles so that customers won’t need an adapter on Tesla’s network anymore.

When we reported on Tesla’s push to open-source the NACS connector back in November, we wrote:

Turns out it was enough for Ford after all.

II: What's Next for Ford? Unpacking the Implications.

Here's what the future may hold for Ford and the questions we're eagerly anticipating answers for:

• Twice the inlets, twice the fun?: Will Ford put two charging ports on its next-gen vehicles or just one? At least the NACS inlet seems to be set based on comments made by the Ford CEO. Car and Driver speculates (based on multiple sources) that Ford will add both CCS + NACS inlets on its next vehicle.

• Playing the Lobby Game: Where will Ford stand in regards to lobbying government about which connector type should be eligible for funding? Will Ford hold a neutral stance, or switch sides? Even though both Ford and Tesla are members of CharIN, the association advocating for CCS, Tesla hasn't hesitated to introduce the rival NACS connector.

• Navigating voltage limits: If Ford plans to release 800V-based vehicles in the future, how will they solve backward compatibility with Tesla’s low-voltage Superchargers? (Refer to ⚡️ High Voltage - Low Charging 😕) It remains to be seen whether the upcoming v4 Supercharger hardware solves this problem.

• What about V2X?: Ford’s F-150 Lightning has the ability to power a home for up to three days. Will Ford be able to offer bidirectional charging via the NACS connector? Most likely yes, as NACS is really “just” a connector. The digital communication layer is based on PLC messages using the same DIN7021/ISO15118 charging protocols which CCS uses. Alternatively, by adding both inlet types Ford could ensure backwards compatibility to its V2H-enabled Ford Charge Station Pro which uses the CCS connector.

III. What does it mean for other fast charging operators?

• Reliability: Other charging networks like Electrify America (EA) and EVGo will need to improve the quality of the charging experience at their charging sites. Up until now, those companies faced no competition in the area of reliability as Tesla’s network was closed. Going forward Ford drivers will be a lot less dependent on networks like EA and EVGo as Tesla’s network will serve as a viable alternative.

• Network Growth: With increased utilization and associated charging revenues from Ford’s vehicles, Tesla will aim to defend or expand its relative market share to other CCS charging networks. Tesla’s stated goal is to double the North American Supercharger network by end of 2024. Tesla’s relative importance will depend on how its network growth compares to that of 3rd party CCS networks like Electrify America, EVGo, Rivian, Walmart and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz network.

• Driver Confusion and Connector Jungle: Sadly, North American EV drivers will continue to face complexity and confusion when trying to figure out if they are able to charge their car at network A,B, or C. Just as the industry was getting ready to phase out ChaDeMo connectors in North America, Ford’s NACS announcement is re-igniting a connector war on the continent.

3 Links 🔗

• Coming to America 🇺🇸 : Alpitronic’s Hypercharger, the most popular high-power charger in Europe and known for its reliability, is finally entering the US market. The company announced that it has selected Charlotte in North Carolina as its US headquarter.

• Geely eyes Aston Martin 👀: Chinese EV conglomerate Geely (owner of Volvo and Polestar among many other brands) just bought a 17% stake in Aston Martin. The company could accelerate its transition to EVs by accessing technology from Geely’s various electric platforms.

• Toyota dethroned 👑: As of Q1/2023 Tesla’s Model Y is officially the best selling vehicle globally, ahead of Toyota’s Corolla. This marks the first time ever that an electric car holds the top spot - A milestone!

Memes of the Week 🤡

That's a wrap for this week! Let us know how you feel:

Reader Review of the Week

Selected ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️ Freakin´ awesome on ⚡ The Secret feature that EV companies don't want you to know about.. and wrote:

“Thanks for sharing the tests of pulling power from the car. Super cool. You guys are awesome.”

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. The Electric Avenue team may hold investments in the companies discussed.