Electric vehicles made by General Motors have gained access to Tesla’s Superchargers, GM said Wednesday, marking another step forward for efforts to settle on a universal public charger network for battery-powered cars and trucks in the United States.
The update expands the number of vehicles compatible with the North American Charging Standard developed by Tesla. It could also allay some GM customers’ concerns about a lack of charging options.
The new changes take effect immediately, along with sales of the GM-approved power adapters.
“GM’s ongoing efforts to help accelerate the expansion of public charging infrastructure is an integral part of our commitment to an all-electric future,” Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy, said in a statement.
The deal makes roughly 17,800 Tesla Superchargers available to drivers of GM-manufactured vehicles such as the Chevy Bolt, Cadillac Lyriq and Silverado EV, with the help of an adapter that costs $225.
Some Tesla chargers won’t work with GM’s adapter, according to a GM fact sheet. Customers can use their mobile apps to locate compatible chargers, the company said.
GM estimates that the partnership with Tesla contributes to an overall network of 231,800 fast chargers across the United States available to drivers of its vehicles. GM is also part of IONNA, a joint venture of eight automakers that plans to build at least 30,000 high-powered chargers nationwide.
Wednesday’s announcement comes more than a year after General Motors first announced it would adopt the North American Charging Standard.
Several other automakers have agreed to work with the Tesla standard. Ford and Rivian have started distributing adapters for their EVs, while others, such as BMW, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz have promised to start making their vehicles compatible this year or next.
But the move to standardize EV charging infrastructure comes as sales of fully electric vehicles have been slowing industry-wide, leading some automakers to de-emphasize EVs in favor of hybrids.
General Motors delivered 38,355 electric vehicles in the first half of 2024.
(c) Washington Post