Tesla and Ford Forge New Partnership: Ford To Incorporate Tesla Charge Port (NACS) in Future EVs

By Kevin Armstrong
Ford will add a Tesla (NACS) port to its future EVs
Ford will add a Tesla (NACS) port to its future EVs
Tesla

In a move that attests to Elon Musk's words on fostering industry collaboration over competition, Tesla and Ford have announced a partnership to enable the latter's electric vehicles access to Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network.

Ford's Green Light to Tesla's Charging Technology

Contrary to earlier speculations that Tesla's move to open its proprietary charging connector might be a futile attempt at standardization, Ford has embraced the North American Charging Standard (NACS) - Tesla's charging system. With this, Tesla’s charging plug design, known for some advantages over the current CCS standard, might start gaining traction across the North American EV sector.

This agreement with Tesla allows Ford EV owners to enjoy the expansive Supercharger network through an adapter named “Magic Dock,” which is being deployed at Superchargers. Starting early next year, Ford EV customers will have the luxury of charging at more than 22,000 stations — 12,000+ Tesla Superchargers and 10,000+ DC fast-chargers already part of the BlueOval Charge Network.

Ford EVs to Directly Integrate Tesla's Connector

Signaling a significant step in EV charging standards, Ford plans to incorporate Tesla’s NACS connector into its future electric vehicles starting in 2025. This will allow Ford EVs to access Tesla Superchargers without needing an adapter directly. More importantly, it could allow Ford vehicles to charge at more Superchargers, which do not have the Magic Dock adapter. Jim Farley, Ford's president and CEO, expressed enthusiasm about this breakthrough agreement, hailing it as vital for Ford's growth as an EV brand.

The impressive reliability of Tesla’s Supercharger network was a major factor in Ford's decision to facilitate the use of the network for its EV owners. Tesla's Superchargers have a near-perfect uptime rate of 99.95%, offering a dependable solution to the charging needs of Ford's EV customers.

Evolution of the BlueOval Charge Network

Ford's existing charging network, the BlueOval Charge Network, already boasts over 84,000 chargers. The addition of Tesla Superchargers will bolster its infrastructure, significantly reducing range anxiety for Ford customers. In tandem, Ford plans to add approximately 1,800 public-facing fast chargers to the BlueOval Charge Network by early 2024.

Elon Musk’s Supportive Approach to Industry Collaboration

This partnership exemplifies Musk's commitment to industry collaboration over annihilating competition. Following a precedent set by Henry Ford's assembly line revolution, Tesla's continuous advancements in EV technology and strategic price reductions have led to questions about the future of other automakers in the EV market. However, unlike Ford's competitive approach a century ago, Tesla's actions aim to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by enhancing access and efficiency of charging for all EVs.

This partnership is a significant milestone in the EV industry, setting a course toward a collaborative and innovative future. While it brings a superior charging experience for customers, it also propels the world’s transition to sustainable energy, emphasizing the shared goal of all players in the EV sector.

This Year’s Most Creative Cybertruck Halloween Decorations for Trunk or Treat

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

The Cybertruck has now celebrated its first Halloween, and owners did not disappoint in coming up with clever and unique decorations for their stainless steel trunk. Make sure you’ve got whatever is left of your candy nearby cause we’re going in.

Aliens

Up in the hero image to get us started - the Cybertruck is really a piece of alien technology. At least, that’s how it appears when it first arrives in town. So, why not celebrate the alien-ness of the Cybertruck to North American roads? We love it.

Spooky

@jayvee10x over on X put together this fantastic display for Halloween and included their Cybertruck! The Cybertruck would definitely be a good vehicle of choice to take on zombies and walking skeletons.

By @jayvee10x.
By @jayvee10x.
@jayvee10x

Halo

TeslaKen over on the Cybertruck Owner’s Club forums put together this outstanding Cosplay of Master Chief from Halo, and wrapped up his Cybertruck to look like a Warthog. Probably one of the coolest costumes we’ve seen so far.

By TeslaKen on the CT Owners Club
By TeslaKen on the CT Owners Club
TeslaKen

Jaws

Sometimes, all you need to do to get a scare is to show some nice sharp teeth. The smoke machine just completes the look with the red glow.

Fangs!
Fangs!
Not a Tesla App

More Aliens

Terry Stach and Robert Martin captured some aliens in their trucks. Best to keep an eye on these ones, lest they whisk you away in their Cyber-UFO. Just watch out though, because @brandtsla over on X is being chased by that UFO!

Terry Stach over on Facebook.
Terry Stach over on Facebook.
Terry Stach

Cyberbeast Cerberus

The Cyberbeast’s logo is the three-headed hound that guards the gates of hell - Cereberus. Turns out that S.E. Robinson let the dogs out. Our favorite, all things said. Maybe a smoke machine and some red lights to complete the look though! Oh wait, he’s got that too!

The Cybertruck makes an incredible canvas for Halloween decorations, and we’re eager to see even more creative ideas emerge as it heads into its second Halloween season next year.

First Look at Tesla's New 'Service History' Feature [Photos]

By Karan Singh
Mahtava

Tesla has begun adding the ability for service technicians—both Tesla’s and third-party — to log repair history in their vehicles.

This new feature is part of update Tesla update 2024.38.2, which also includes other features such as Reduced Sentry Mode Power Usage, and Track Mode Powertrain Endurance.

While this isn’t exactly a feature most users will see often, Tesla has added some features that should help technicians know more about a vehicle’s history. Best of all, while Service History is aimed at technicians, it’s also accessible by any Tesla owner.

So, grab your wrench, and let’s take a detailed look at Tesla’s new Service History.

Service History

Service History is a new feature in Tesla’s Service Mode that tracks all the maintenance a vehicle has received. Technicians are prompted to use Tesla’s Correction Codes, which define the repair that took place and then provide an optional timestamp for the repair being completed. In short, it’s a way to keep track of repairs and services within the vehicle. This should make it easier for technicians to solve issues by being aware of the vehicle’s history.

Service History is accessible directly on the main panel of Service Mode. While Tesla already has internal tools to access a vehicle’s history, the real benefit will be when the vehicle is serviced by different technicians. For example, a local tech could now be services that Tesla serviced performed and vice-versa.

Service history is also permanent and stays with the vehicle. Once entries are added, they cannot be edited or removed, so there’s no tampering with a vehicle’s service history.

You can see the new Service History option on the bottom right.
You can see the new Service History option on the bottom right.
Mahtava

These timestamped history logs are permanently saved to your vehicle and are accessible by Tesla and anyone else who can put their car into Service Mode. If you want to take a peek and are on 2024.38 or higher, you can follow our Guide on Service Mode here.

Entering a Service Item

When entering a new Service History entry, you’re given a few options, including a Correction Code. Tesla maintains a list of Correction Codes for pretty much everything under the sun, from a full-out swap of the battery pack or one of the motors to things as simple as replacing the wiper blades or adding windshield washer fluid.

Technicians servicing Tesla vehicles will have the option to indicate whether they’re a first-party doing the work (Tesla Service), a qualified third-party independent repairer, or an unknown—like the vehicle owner themselves.

The pop-up that displays when you open Service History.
The pop-up that displays when you open Service History.
Mahtava

If you’d like to add an entry yourself, you can give it a try, as it’s pretty straightforward. You can select a Correction Code for something you’d normally DIY, like adding washer fluid. You can then select a timestamp, which is optional, and then select what type of repairer you are - first party, qualified third party, or other.

The Record Service Menu.
The Record Service Menu.
Mahtava

Expanding Service History

Tesla’s new Service History is a really interesting idea. It puts third-party technicians and vehicle owners on equal ground, with everyone having access to a vehicle’s history. It’s also going to be useful for owners to keep track of simple tasks like tire rotations, wiper blade replacements, low-voltage battery replacements, and more.

Service History also helps solve the issue of Tesla not being able to effectively track vehicle services done by qualified third-party repair shops, who often won’t push the vehicle correction codes via Toolbox 3.

Instead, this allows even unfamiliar repair technicians an easy-to-see and easy-to-use solution to log and diagnose potential issues quickly.

We’d love for Tesla to make Service History even more accessible, potentially moving it out of Service Mode, which only a small percentage of owners will ever go into.

It’d be useful if Tesla moved certain options into the main Controls > Service area, allowing vehicle owners to add simple things like adding windshield wiper fluid. For more complex changes, Tesla could ask owners to enter Service Mode, and remind them that all entries are permanent and can not be changed or removed, even by Tesla.

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