According to a service bulletin spotted by InsideEVs, Ford is telling customers to stop using NACS adapters for Tesla Superchargers after giving them away for free. The company writes that the reason cited is “potential issues” that could reduce charging speed over time and even cause damage to the charging port.
The automaker plans to send out replacement adapters “in the coming weeks” and asks customers to return their existing adapters free of charge. “It is essential that all affected adapters are received to reduce the risk of potential vehicle damage,” it added.
After signing an EV charging agreement with Tesla in May 2023, Ford EV owners in Canada and the United States were given the green light to use Superchargers earlier this year. The original deadline for free adapters was June 2024, but after repeated delays due to supplier issues, the deadline has been extended to September 30th, but this issue could result in further delays. .
This adapter converts the North American standard CCS port used in Ford EVs to Tesla’s proprietary NACS cable. Other companies that signed deals with Tesla (including Nissan, Rivian, GM, and Subaru) offered similar adapters, and many of them plan to permanently adopt the NACS standard in their future vehicles. Ford itself plans to make the switch in 2025.
Modern V4 superchargers are rated at 250 kW and 615 A, which is enough to power multiple homes, so creating a NACS adapter isn’t just a matter of changing pins. Earlier this year, Tesla sued a supplier of a cheap NACS adapter, saying it could cause “catastrophic” injuries.
