Ford is telling some electric car customers that stop using North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters provided for charging at Tesla Supercharger stations.
Ford led the industry last year in announcing a change to Tesla's charging port, and in February announced it would ship free adapters to customers in late March. But last week the car manufacturer issued a warning to some customers do not use adapters because of a “potential problem” that could lead to a slower charging speed, or it might be easier damage to the car's charging port.
Ford Mustang Mach-E at the Tesla Supercharger station
The issue applies to a specific set of NACS adapters, which will be replaced free of charge in which Ford is classifying it as a customer service action instead of a full recall, InsideEVs reports.
“Ford has identified a potential problem with a number of adapters shipped earlier this year where over time, continued use could result in reduced charging speeds,” the automaker said in a statement to InsideEVs. “Ford does not recommend using the specified adapter.”
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash
The automaker plans to start sending replacement adapters the week of October 28, so customers have time to check their shipping addresses. Retail customers should check the address listed in their FordPass accounts and update, if necessary, by Oct. 24. If the address is correct, no action is required. Fleet customers will be notified and asked to verify their address directly by the National Account Manager.
As of Friday, InsideEVs reported that General Motors and Rivian have not experienced such problems with their Tesla NACS adapters, with Rivian confirming through a spokesperson that “drivers may continue to use their NACS adapters normally at this time.” .” While most other EV brands are switching to the NACS port, only Ford, GM, and Rivian have shipped adapters so far.