Thanks to a Tesla-provided adapter, owners of Ford electric vehicles were among the first non-Tesla drivers to get access to the SuperCharger network in the U.S.
Yet, amid slowing supply from Tesla, Ford is now turning to Lectron, an EV accessories supplier, to provide these North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters, according to InsideEVs.
Non-Tesla electric vehicles feature a Combined Charging System (CCS), which requires a NACS adapter to access Tesla’s SuperCharger stations in North America.
Ford has already begun shipping the new adapters for free to customers who registered to receive a complimentary adapter. Other customers can still buy it on Ford’s website for $200.
The Lectron adapters are rated for up to 500 amps and 1,000 volts, similar to Tesla adapter specifications.
In October, Ford issued a bulletin asking its EV customers to stop using its complementary adapters, citing a potential issue that could cause reduced charging speeds and even damage to the port. It also said that it would send replacement units to the affected customers.
However, the Lectron chargers are not replacement units and are being shipped to “continue accelerating access to the Tesla SuperCharger network for Ford’s electric vehicle customers,” Ford said.
According to InsideEVs, demand for NACS adapters is “exceptionally high,” with some customers having to wait for months to get their units. The adapters were currently listed as out of stock on Ford’s website.
In 2024, most EV automakers followed Ford’s lead to offer access to Tesla’s SuperCharger network. In September, General Motors EVs made by Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac joined the growing list of vehicles to adopt NACS charging. The network already allows access, via adapters, to EVs made by Rivian, Honda, and Volvo. The likes of Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar have also signed agreements to start allowing access in 2025.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.