This is a huge step that will help all GM EV owners. GM announced that the $225 adapters will give owners access to the Tesla network of nearly 18,000 superchargers.
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Everyone seems to agree that the biggest drawback to people buying EVs is the lack of access to chargers. Even Ford CEO Jim Farley has talked at length about the frustration of trying to find working chargers. The charging infrastructure just hasn’t grown as quickly as automakers had hoped. Now GM has worked out a plan to use Tesla superchargers which should be a huge boost for the sales of GM EVs vehicles, like the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV. GM is making the adapters available to GM EV customers for $225. The adapters will make it possible for Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and Buick EV drivers to use Tesla’s 17,800 chargers nationwide.
"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," said Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy. "Enabling access to even more publicly available fast chargers represents yet another way GM is focused on further improving the customer experience and making the transition to electric more seamless."
How The New Charging Will Work
This means that EV drivers will be able to use GM vehicle brand apps to purchase a GM approved North American Charging Standard DC adapter. The apps will also help drivers find available chargers and pay for charging sessions.
GM EV customers will ultimately have access to more than 231,800 public Level 2 and DC fast chargers throughout the United States and Canada. At this point, the new adapters will only work with GM vehicles. No word on when Ford and Stellantis may have similar technology available.
Access to quick and easy charging has been a frustrating journey so far. The internet is filled with horror stories about EV drivers not being able to find working chargers on freeways. Having to exit main roads to find libraries, parking structures or malls with charging stations is time consuming. The other huge issue is that often the chargers don’t work, having been damaged by vandals looking for copper wiring. Plus, construction on the overall charging infrastructure has been slow.
With the addition of the Tesla Supercharger Network, GM customers will have access to significantly more public Level 2 and DC fast chargers in North America. GM continues to partner with various companies to accelerate the construction of new charging facilities, especially along major roadways, but it just hasn’t happened fast enough.
Meeting EV Customers’ Demand
GM says it will make the new NACS DC adapters available to customers first in the United States. Sales to Canadian customers will follow later this year.
Drivers will be able to also use the same apps to locate available Tesla Superchargers, check station status, initiate a charge, and pay for charging sessions.
GM plans to use multiple suppliers to produce as many approved NACS DC adapters as possible. Each adapter has been developed to ensure customers can charge their GM EVs at chargers that utilize the North American Charging Standard.
GM has even set up a webpage to explain how all of this will work. You can get much more information on the adapters and the charging networks here.
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Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.
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