Back in May 2023, Ford was the first automaker to sign a deal with Tesla that grants its EV owners access to that company’s Supercharger network, which is the largest of its kind – and the most reliable, according to more than one study. Shortly after, pretty much every automaker that sells EVs in the U.S. followed suit, including Ford’s cross-town rival, General Motors. However, while existing Ford EV owners are getting a free Combined Charging Standard (CCS) to North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter needed to charge at Supercharger stations for a limited time, it seems as if GM won’t be following suit.
According to GM Authority, those that own EVs from that manufacturer have finally gained access to Tesla’s Supercharger network following a long wait. The automaker plans to begin incorporating native NACS connectors into its EVs beginning in the 2026 model year, but for now, customers will have to purchase an adapter to access the Supercharger network at a cost of $225 – though it wont actually be available until later this year.
This is something of a raw deal compared to Ford EV owners, who are eligible to get the NACS adapter for free for a limited time, but it isn’t the only downside GM EV owners are facing. In fact, GM EVs won’t offer Charge and Pay functionality, meaning that customers will have to use the myChevrolet, myGMC, or myCadillac mobile apps to pay for charging sessions manually. This isn’t the case with Ford EV owners, who can do so more easily by creating a BlueOval Charge Network account, after which they can then select, activate, and pay for charging by using the FordPass “View Chargers” functionality.
On top of all this, GM is ditching Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in its all-electric models, starting with the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV. This decision was made because it gives GM the ability to capture more user data, focus its engineering efforts into one single software platform, better integrate its own features such as SuperCruise, make vehicles less dependent on smartphones, and perhaps most importantly, help it accelerate its mission to drive revenue through connected vehicle services. However, Ford won’t be following suit, and intends to continue to offer this functionality moving forward.
Comments
By denying the benefits offered by Ford mentioned above, GM is actually telling it’s EV buyers:
“Have you driven a Ford lately?”
Dropping CarPlay and Android Auto is the best reason for me to never, ever look at a GM dealer again
Test drove a Blazer EV, 1st 8 years of google operating system are free, not a fan of them dropping CarPlay, but you can still use iPhone for music and phone calls. Overall, was impressed with vehicle, very quiet, great acceleration and looked great. Could use more interior colors besides black.