Ford was the first automaker to jump on the Tesla NACS bandwagon, but it’s having trouble getting adapters to the owners who need them to access the Supercharger network. Strong demand and long wait times for adapters have pushed the automaker to offer an alternative-branded component to keep up.
Ford said the new adapter is made by Lectron and noted that customers on the waiting list may receive one of the new units or the existing NACS adapter it started offering earlier this year. Though it advised owners to stop using the original adapter due to a design issue, it said the Lectron unit is not a replacement for the older component and noted that it’s intended to expand availability for customers.
Non-Tesla electric vehicles use the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard plugs, which aren’t compatible with Superchargers. The adapters make it easy to charge on Tesla’s network, and many automakers have made moves to install NACS ports at the factory going forward.
Regardless of how you feel about Tesla, its charging network is one of the more robust and reliable options in the country right now, a point illustrated by all the other automakers jumping onto its standard. Third-party charging companies’ offerings often leave much to be desired, with inoperable, unreliable chargers and clunky payment processing systems.
[Images: Tesla, Ford]
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