The American automotive manufacturer has announced a collaboration with electric vehicle (EV) maker, Tesla, to integrate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its EVs beginning in 2025. The partnership will expand charging access for the company's EV drivers to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers throughout North America.

The agreement, GM says, will complement the car manufacturer's ongoing investments in charging, reinforcing the company's focus on expanding charging access. Moreover, the deal with Tesla builds on the more than 134,000 chargers already available to North American GM electric vehicle drivers through the company's Ultium Charge 360 initiative and mobile apps.

GM claims that the deal will leverage its EV strategy. "This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers. Not only will it help make the transition to electric vehicles more seamless for our customers, but it could help move the industry toward a single North American charging standard," said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra.

Access to Tesla Supercharger Network | Credit: GMAdapter-free in 2025

While the Tesla Supercharger Network will be open to GM electric vehicle customers in 2024, drivers will initially need to use an adapter until the beginning of 2025. By then, the first GM EVs will have been built with a NACS inlet for direct access to Tesla Superchargers, the company says. In addition, GM will make adapters available for drivers of NACS-enabled vehicles to allow charging on CCS-capable fast charge stations.

Beyond those enhanced charging options, GM will also integrate the Tesla Supercharger Network into its vehicle and mobile apps to help drivers quickly locate, pay for, and initiate charging at available Tesla Superchargers. This will build upon the charging alternatives the automaker is already offering at its growing Ultium Charge 360 charging stations and the charging stations that GM has made available through existing integrations with other charging networks.

According to Tesla, partnerships within the industry like this one will advance its mission of accelerating the transition to sustainable energy. "Giving every EV owner access to ubiquitous and reliable charging is a cornerstone of that mission. We're excited to work with other industry leaders like General Motors to provide access to the Tesla Supercharger Network via the North American Charging Standard," Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla's Senior Director of Charging Infrastructure, commented.

GM has asserted that it will continue to work with other auto industry partners in order to accelerate the installation of home, work and public charging as part of the firm’s Ultium Charge 360 initiative. This will include its collaborations with Pilot Company and EVgo that will add more than 5,000 DC fast chargers to the nearly 13,000 existing ones in North America, as well as the deployment of community chargers throughout the US and Canada.

These initiatives, according to GM, combined with this new collaboration with Tesla, will offer the auto maker’s customers access to one of the largest integrated networks of high-power charging stations in North America.

GM is not the only company looking to optimise charging by joining forces with Tesla. The news comes just two weeks after another major US car manufacturer, Ford, revealed a similar deal to enable access for Ford vehicles to Tesla's charging network. Ford announced that in early 2024, more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers will be operational with Ford vehicles. Additionally, next-generation Ford vehicles will come equipped with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, Tesla’s standardised version of its proprietary charging system.

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