General Motors announced on June 8 that it will start integrating Tesla's charging connector into its EVs in 2025. GM will also enable current EV customers to access Tesla Superchargers in North America through an adaptor early next year.
GM CEO Mary Barra and Tesla chief Elon Musk unveiled the agreement at a Twitter Space event on Thursday. Ford just announced its adoption of the Tesla charging standard in May.
In an interview with CNBC, Barra said the collaboration with Tesla can save GM US$400 million.
According to the Detroit-based automaker, it will integrate Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its EVs beginning in 2025. Moreover, current GM EV drivers will be able to charge at 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada through an adaptor in early 2024.
Data from the US Department of Energy shows that about 60% of the fast chargers in the US and Canada are Tesla Superchargers.
Musk said at the Twitter event that the partnership with GM will be fundamentally great for EV advancement.
Reuters reported that Tesla, GM and Ford make up about 70% of EV sales in the US at present. The alliance among the three carmakers means the top 3 EV sellers in North America have reached a consensus on charging hardware.
The situation could put pressure on other EV companies and charging station operators who have adopted the combined charging system (CCS), according to Reuters. CCS is the standard the US government requires for charging stations to be eligible for subsidies.
In addition to scaling up its charging network, Tesla has continued to expand its production capacity and is reportedly considering building a plant in Valencia, Spain. According to Spain-based CincoDias, the EV maker is negotiating with Generalitat Valenciana, the self-governing institutions of Valencia, to construct an assembly plant.
Electrek reported that the Spanish local government confirmed that it is discussing a potential investment in the area with an automaker without revealing the company.
