Ford CEO says Tesla Superchargers may become the standard for EV charging

FORD CEO Jim Farley said Tesla’s Superchargers may become the standard for EV charging in the US, a day after the Michigan-based company struck a deal allowing Ford owners to gain access to the rival charging stations in North America.

“I think there’s a chance you know,” Farley said in response to a question on CNBC on whether Tesla Superchargers will become the standard for EV charging.

Ford shares were up 7.8 per cent at US$12.27, while Tesla rose 3.7 per cent to US$191.30.

Farley added that General Motors and other automakers are going to “have a big choice to make” in selecting between Tesla’s EV chargers and the Combined Charging System (CCS).

CCS is one of several competing charging plug standards for DC fast charging.

“The CCS standard plays a crucial role in establishing an extensive network of fast charging stations across North America,” General Motors said.

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Since 2012, Tesla has developed and deployed its own high-speed vehicle charger, called Supercharger, which can add up to 322 miles (518 km) of range in just 15 minutes.

It had 17,711 Superchargers, accounting for about 60 per cent of total US fast chargers, which can add hundreds of miles of driving range in an hour or less.

On Friday (May 26), Farley said Ford had about 10,000 fast chargers and the agreement with Tesla will “double that”. REUTERS