General Motors’ electric vehicles (EVs) are now able to access over 17,800 Tesla Superchargers using an NACS DC adapter. The move will help improve options for EV charging in North America for current and future EV drivers.
The original deal made in June of 2023 called for the Supercharger network to be available in early 2024 but obviously this was pushed back to this week. The addition of the chargers will allow GM EV users to access over 231,800 public Level 2 and DC faster chargers in North America.
GM said this number will grow as it continue to develop its infrastructure through heavily traveled corridors through various charging collaborations such as the one it made last week with EVgo.
How it works
To access Tesla’s Supercharger Network, users can buy a GM approved North American Charging System (NACS) DC adapter through GM. Current EV drivers will be able to use the same apps previously used to locate EV chargers to find Superchargers.
Future vehicles will be equipped with the NACS charge port to remove the need for any adapter at all for direct access to the Superchargers, GM said previously.
Why it matters
It is unclear if the automotive OEMs that made deals with Tesla for its Supercharger network — which is every company developing EVs — plan to continue the support for the network after their own EV charging networks are established. But, for now, this is a boon for the EV market in general given how many more chargers will be available to all the EVs on the road not just the cars from Tesla.
According to a recent survey by AAA, interest in EVs in the U.S. is falling from previous years due to a variety of reasons including a severe lack of EV chargers in North America. This along with other factors like high prices and range anxiety are causing many consumers that might look to an EV to choose a hybrid or internal combustion engine instead.
With automotive vendors unable to build the EV infrastructure to meet current demand, using already established networks like Tesla’s Supercharger is the only way to improve the situation with the lack of EV chargers. That is, until they can construct their own networks.
GM, as well as numerous other automotive OEMs, have invested in building their own networks including GM’s collaboration with EVgo to build 2,850 stalls by 2025. GM is also boosting its home charging capabilities with its vehicle-to-home bidirectional technology and combines solar power with EV charging as well as emergency home power scenarios.
In the meantime, GM and other vendors get more EV chargers to support the current EVs on the road and the future demand that is projected to accelerate in the coming years.
