Owners of electric cars and pickup trucks made by General Motors will be able to use Tesla’s extensive charging network starting on Wednesday, a potential boost for slowing electric vehicle sales.
G.M. said it would begin selling adapters allowing owners of Chevrolet Bolts, GMC Hummers, Cadillac Lyriqs and other electric models from the company to charge at Tesla Supercharger stations.
Access to the network could encourage people to buy electric cars by alleviating fears about finding reliable places to charge them. Tesla’s fast-charging network is the largest in the United States and is widely considered by analysts and drivers to be the most reliable.
With limited exceptions, those chargers were open only to Tesla cars until last year when the company, led by Elon Musk, agreed to allow access to other models. Virtually all manufacturers of electric vehicles have since agreed to switch to the charging technology developed by Tesla, which uses a proprietary plug.
G.M. had said its cars would be able to use Tesla chargers several months ago, but until Wednesday, only the owners of Ford and Rivian vehicles had gained access to the network. Cars from other automakers like Hyundai, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are expected to be next, though the timing is unclear. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
A shortage of adapters has also limited the number of drivers who can use the system. The adapters are an interim solution until other automakers begin manufacturing cars designed to accept the plugs used by Teslas.
The delays in gaining access to Tesla’s chargers have raised questions about whether other automakers erred by agreeing to switch to the company’s network, making them dependent on Mr. Musk, who is known for impulsive decision making. The company manufactures adapters at a factory in Buffalo, N.Y., but was not producing them fast enough to meet demand.
G.M. said on Wednesday that it would buy adapters from several suppliers, rather than relying solely on Tesla. G.M. will sell the adapters for $225, in contrast to Ford and Rivian, which are buying them from Tesla and offering them to their customers at no cost. Drivers in the United States will get the adapters first, followed by Canadian customers later this year.
One factor probably contributing to delays was Mr. Musk’s decision in April to dismiss nearly all of the 500 Tesla employees responsible for the Supercharger network. The company’s construction of new chargers plunged afterward, but it surged again in August after some of the fired employees were rehired.
Tesla installed 617 new fast-charging ports last month, more than all other charging companies combined, according to EVAdoption, a research firm. Still, installations are down about 10 percent from 2023. A fast charger can replenish a depleted car battery in 20 minutes to an hour depending on the capabilities of the charger and the car.
G.M. said it was working with other partners to increase the amount of charging stations, which remains inadequate for the number of electric vehicles on the road.
“G.M.’s ongoing efforts to help accelerate the expansion of public charging infrastructure is an integral part of our commitment to an all-electric future,” Wade Sheffer, vice president of G.M. Energy, said in a statement.
All electric vehicles manufactured by G.M. will be able to use the adapters, the company said, although some versions of the Chevrolet Bolt will need free software updates, which will require their owners to take them to a dealer.
Not all of Tesla’s network will be open to other car brands. The adapters will work with about 18,000 Tesla fast-charging ports in the United States, about 60 percent of the total. Older, less powerful Tesla chargers will remain inaccessible.
Tesla began building charging stations more than a decade ago when they were a rarity. Exclusive access to the network was a major selling point for Tesla cars.
In recent years, companies like Electrify America and EVgo have built thousands of chargers that are open to cars from all automakers.
By opening its network, Tesla can make money from a larger pool of drivers. But the company also risks angering buyers of its cars who may now have to wait longer for chargers to open up because Tesla stations are being used by many more vehicles.
The growth rate of electric vehicle sales has slowed sharply recently, though the pace is still faster than for sales of gasoline-powered cars. Along with other carmakers, G.M. has cut back investment in manufacturing facilities for electric vehicles, but the company’s executives have said they still expect electric cars to gain ground over time.
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