Ford and Tesla have announced an agreement allowing new Ford EVs to access over 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in the United States and Canada from spring 2024. This rare move sees the two automakers putting their rivalry aside to encourage widespread EV adoption since Tesla still has one of the largest and most established fast-charging networks.

From spring 2024, Ford's Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit models - which have helped the Blue Oval rise to America's number 2 EV brand behind Tesla - will be equipped with a Tesla Supercharger-compatible adapter and software integration to allow these EVs to plug into Tesla's V3 Superchargers with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.

Currently, these Fords use the Combined Charging System (CCS) port. The respective Ford and Tesla CEOs - Jim Farley and Elon Musk - made the announcement on Twitter, and the news was well-received by many.

"Widespread access to fast-charging is absolutely vital to our growth as an EV brand, and this breakthrough agreement comes as we are ramping up production of our popular Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning and preparing to launch a series of next-generation EVs starting in 2025," said Farley.

Speaking of those next-gen EVs, Ford will be equipping them with the NACS charge port from 2025, negating the requirement for the adapter to access Tesla Superchargers.

Besides the existing 84,000 or so chargers (including 10,000 DC fast chargers) that form part of the BlueOval Charge Network in North America, customers will soon have access to nearly 100,000 chargers with the addition of the Tesla Superchargers. What remains unknown is how next-gen Ford EVs with the NACS port will hook up to Ford's existing network of third-party chargers, although a spokesperson did say that these stations would eventually come with plugs to link up with NACS ports.

"We've spent the last 10 years building an industry-leading Charging Network that enables freedom to travel and provides charging confidence for our Tesla owners," said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla's senior director of charging infrastructure. "We're excited to deliver on our mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy by welcoming Ford owners and other electric vehicles who adopt NACS to our thousands of Superchargers across North America."

As per Automotive News, Musk himself was also upbeat about the agreement, saying that Tesla was "super happy to support" the cause and adding that he has a "tremendous amount of respect for Ford as a company. It makes great, great vehicles."

Tesla's influence on Ford over the last few years has been undeniable, with Farley explaining last year why separating its ICE and EV units was necessary to compete with Tesla. Earlier this year, Ford entered the EV price war by dropping its Mach-E prices shortly after Tesla introduced sweeping price cuts across its entire lineup. The two CEOs have taken jabs at each other in the past, but at the same time, there's been a sense of mutual respect between the two for years.

That relationship ultimately led to an agreement that will benefit EV owners, especially those choosing Ford, who will soon enjoy expanded access to chargers nationwide.