In an industry-defining move, General Motors has announced a strategic partnership with Tesla to leverage the electric vehicle leader’s North American charging network and technologies. Commencing in 2022, GM vehicles will gain access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers through an adapter and GM's proprietary EV charging app.
As part of this alliance, from 2025, GM will incorporate the North American Charging Standard (NACS), designed by Tesla, in its electric vehicles instead of the current industry-standard Combined Charging System (CCS). This marks a significant shift in the EV charging landscape, signifying Tesla's growing influence in dictating the industry norms.
Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, expressed her optimism about the partnership, stating that it is expected to save up to $400 million from a previously allocated $750 million meant for EV charging infrastructure development. With this collaboration, GM joins Ford Motor Company in embracing Tesla's charging technology, a development that is poised to shape the future of the EV charging network in the US.
This alliance is seen as a major victory for Tesla, adding impetus to its efforts to establish its charging technology as the national standard. This development also exerts pressure on the US government, which is investing heavily in building an EV charging network, and other automakers to consider adopting Tesla’s technology.
The deal was announced via a live audio discussion on Twitter Spaces by Barra and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, indicating a considerable reversal in GM's previous strategy of supporting an open connector standard for CCS with the SAE International engineering organization.
The GM-Tesla deal is set to enhance access to fast chargers for GM and Ford customers while increasing the utilization of Tesla's network. Tesla's network boasts roughly 45,000 Supercharger connectors at 4,947 Supercharger Stations worldwide, a significant number compared to the approximately 5,300 CCS fast chargers in the US, as reported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
In essence, this strategic partnership is expected to accelerate the EV revolution, addressing one of the major concerns of potential EV buyers - access to reliable, public charging. The alignment of industry giants like GM and Tesla signifies the power of collaboration in propelling the EV industry towards a sustainable future.
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