Interesting interview with Ford CEO about how switch to NACS went down -- worth a listen

[Cosmacelf]

Lots of new info. Well worth listening to.



TLDW summary by @JayinNJ !!

Intro (00:00:00)

• Ford CEO Jim Farley announced Ford's transition from the J1772 and CCS1 plugs to Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) or J3400 connector.
• This allows Ford vehicles access to Tesla's extensive Supercharger network.
• Ford customers can now charge their F-150 Lightning at Tesla Superchargers using an adapter provided by Ford.
• An exclusive interview with Jim Farley will discuss charge port location, data sharing, and how he convinced Elon Musk to allow Ford access to Tesla Superchargers.

Background information on the topic (00:01:37)

• After Ford's announcement, other major OEMs followed suit, planning to install NACS inlets on their electric vehicles starting in 2025.
• Some manufacturers will phase in the transition, with Ford beginning to include NACS ports as the native port on their vehicles from 2025 onwards.
• Until 2025, these companies will rely on adapters to access Tesla Superchargers, with Tesla and third parties manufacturing these adapters.
• Ford is currently the only company allowed to access the Tesla Supercharger network, with Rivian, General Motors, Volvo, and Polestar likely to follow.
• All companies will need to use adapters until their vehicles come with the native NACS port, which will start from 2025.

I ask Jim what led to the decision to switch to Tesla's connector (00:04:03)

• Ford CEO Jim Farley decided to adopt the NACS (J3400) connector for EV charging after realizing the convenience of Tesla's Supercharger Network during a family vacation.
• Data showed that third-party charging sites had a 70% first-time connect rate, while Tesla's internal target was around 98-99%.
• Farley contacted Elon Musk, emphasizing Ford's position as the second-largest player in the EV market and their willingness to switch formats if Tesla provided access with an adapter in the interim.
• Musk agreed, and the contract was completed in a record two weeks.
• The transition involved significant effort in ensuring the technology, software, and adapter's functionality, as well as scaling up production.
• Farley believes that more engineers and people in the field should experience the challenges of EV charging firsthand to better understand customer needs.
• Farley trusts Doug Fields, Ford's Chief EV and Digital Officer, and values his technical expertise in making decisions about EV charging infrastructure.

Did any other CEO call Jim to complain? (00:10:48)

• Jim Farley expected criticism from other brands after Ford's announcement to switch to the NACS (J3400) connector.
• No other CEOs called Jim to complain, but he was not surprised when other companies followed Ford's decision.
• Farley emphasizes the importance of being on the right side of customers in the automotive industry.

Will Ford relocate the charge port locations to accommodate Superchargers? (00:12:00)

• The current charge port location on the Ford F150 Lightning makes it difficult to reach the cable, especially for Superchargers with longer cables.
• Ford is considering relocating the charge port location on future vehicles as part of the switch to the NACS standard.
• The decision to switch standards will involve a comprehensive review of various factors, including the performance and reliability of the NACS connector.
• Farley highlights that the bigger change will be the switch to the NACS standard, which will include a relook at the charge port location.

What will be the first Ford EV to have a native NACS inlet? (00:14:34)

• Jim Farley cannot disclose the specific vehicle that will be the first Ford EV to have a native NACS inlet.
• He hints that it will be one of their next-generation products.
• Farley expresses excitement about the upcoming next-generation products and believes they will surprise people.
• He does not want to give competitors any advance notice about their plans.

Why is Ford giving away the NACS adapter for free? (00:16:09)

• Ford CEO Jim Farley initially stated that the NACS adapter would be free, causing confusion within the company.
• There was a debate within Ford about whether to charge for the adapter, with some arguing that many customers would not use it and it would be a waste.
• Farley believed that providing the adapter for free would be a loyalty investment, as satisfied customers are more likely to purchase another Ford EV in the future.
• Farley felt it would be strange to charge a small amount for the adapter when Ford is emphasizing its commitment to improving its vehicles through software updates and other enhancements.
• The decision to provide the adapter for free was met with positive feedback from the EV community and put pressure on Ford's competitors.
• Ford put a lot of effort into the packaging and messaging of the adapter, considering it a mini product launch.
• Farley appreciated the positive response from customers and expressed gratitude to those who purchased a Ford EV.

I asked Jim if he thinks the future transition to NACS is hurting EV sales today (00:20:50)

• Farley believes affordability is the main reason for the slowdown in EV sales, not the transition to NACS.
• The prices of EVs need to come down to attract more buyers.
• Hybrid vehicles are still being considered by many buyers due to their lower price point and familiarity.
• Buyers are not fully understanding the benefits of EVs, such as acceleration and not having to visit gas stations.

Does Tesla get Ford customer data when they use Superchargers? (00:22:50)

• Tesla does not share Ford customer data when they use Superchargers.
• Customer data stays within Ford unless the customer uses the Tesla charging app.
• Farley would not have agreed to the deal if Tesla had access to Ford customer data.

Jim's final thoughts (00:24:21)

• Farley feels privileged to work at Ford and be in a position to make the right decisions.
• He is grateful for the support of Chairman Bill Ford and people like Doug Fields who encourage him to make tough decisions.
• Farley believes that providing customers with a better charging experience is a no-brainer and that Tesla deserves credit for their hard work.
• He acknowledges that there is still work to be done, such as updating software and the supercharging network.
• Farley sees the switch to the NACS connector as a positive change for the industry.

Summary (00:25:57)

• Ford CEO Jim Farley decided to adopt the NACS (J3400) connector for EV charging in North America after experiencing difficulties during a road trip with his family.
• Farley's decision was influenced by customer complaints about unreliable charging experiences and the desire to improve customer satisfaction.
• Ford will provide a free adapter to customers who want to use the Tesla Supercharger network, but Tesla will not receive any Ford customer data if authentication is done through the Ford Pass app.
• The decision by Ford triggered a domino effect in the industry, with other automakers following suit and agreeing to adopt the NACS connector.
• All new electric vehicles sold in North America will have the NACS (J3400) connector by the end of this decade.

Outro (00:30:57)

• Encouragement to subscribe to the channel and enable notifications to stay updated on electric vehicle news and reviews.
• Expression of gratitude from the speaker for the viewer's time and attention.

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[Ironcitijc]

Thanks for sharing this. Interesting.

 

[Riviot]

tldw?

 

[Proxy]

This interview is too profound and well spoken to summarize.

 

[mkg3]

Great interview and an insight into Ford's reason for why going with NACS.

Thanks for posting!

 

[White Shadow]

Farley seems a little goofy for someone in his position at Ford. Tom seems to think he's just a down-to-earth kind of guy and that may be the case, but he just seemed like a bit of a goofball to me.

Anyway, I don't buy the whole idea of Tesla not wanting to share superchargers with non-Tesla vehicles. Elon (as much of a jackass that he is) has said from the beginning that he wanted other companies building EVS to use NACS and eventually charge at Tesla's network of superchargers. Farley and Tom made it seem like it was something that Elon didn't want to do, but that Farley negotiated and made it happen. Meanwhile, Elon has been saying for years that it would be beneficial to the mass adoption of EVs and that it would also help Tesla by increasing utilization of the supercharger network instead of having all of those dispensers sitting there doing nothing most of the time.

 

[White Shadow]

tldw?

LOL....I'm normally the same way, but I listened to it while I was doing my cardio during my workout routine yesterday. That's when I listen to my podcasts or YouTube videos and lately I've been just listening to EV related stories and news.

 

[Hankenstein]

Farley seems a little goofy for someone in his position at Ford. Tom seems to think he's just a down-to-earth kind of guy and that may be the case, but he just seemed like a bit of a goofball to me.

Anyway, I don't buy the whole idea of Tesla not wanting to share superchargers with non-Tesla vehicles. Elon (as much of a jackass that he is) has said from the beginning that he wanted other companies building EVS to use NACS and eventually charge at Tesla's network of superchargers. Farley and Tom made it seem like it was something that Elon didn't want to do, but that Farley negotiated and made it happen. Meanwhile, Elon has been saying for years that it would be beneficial to the mass adoption of EVs and that it would also help Tesla by increasing utilization of the supercharger network instead of having all of those dispensers sitting there doing nothing most of the time.

This exactly! Tesla has been trying to push NACS for years mostly to get the government funding more easily. No way Farley had to "convince" Elon.

 

[RWerksman]

Yeah - I don't think this video really wastes your time at all. Use the chapters at the bottom - start at 4:00 or so and end at 26:00. The context and the conversation is well worth the listen.

There is waaay more to it, but:

• His kids gave him the business about charging his lightning on a road trip, so he decided to approach Tesla.
• Tesla initially told him to go pound salt, so he reached out to Elon.
• He made the call about offering the adapter for free. Some folks on his team didn't think that was really a thing initially.

Farley seems a little goofy for someone in his position at Ford. Tom seems to think he's just a down-to-earth kind of guy and that may be the case, but he just seemed like a bit of a goofball to me.

See, I liked that. Alot. Specifically, when he was giving Tom the business about the first product, it will be released with the NACS connector. It had shades of Chris Farley in it, and it felt very authentically down to earth without any marketing BS involved.

 

[emoore]

This exactly! Tesla has been trying to push NACS for years mostly to get the government funding more easily. No way Farley had to "convince" Elon.

Elon says a lot of things but then makes others jump through nearly impossible hoops to get a deal with his companies.

 

[mkg3]

Elon says a lot of things but then makes others jump through nearly impossible hoops to get a deal with his companies.

Is that why Farley said they got the agreement contract done in 2 weeks, something super fast for Ford?

 

[emoore]

Is that why Farley said they got the agreement contract done in 2 weeks, something super fast for Ford?

I'm talking about Elon saying he will open up the superchargers for years and years now. Oh btw you have to pay for some of those superchargers..... So no one took the bait until Elon lessened his demands. And when he did then it didn't take long at all.

 

[jjswan33]

Is that why Farley said they got the agreement contract done in 2 weeks, something super fast for Ford?

So this statement is trustworthy but him saying that Tesla initially didn't want to make a deal is clearly BS...

 

[R.I.P.]

I'm talking about Elon saying he will open up the superchargers for years and years now. Oh btw you have to pay for some of those superchargers..... So no one took the bait until Elon lessened his demands. And when he did then it didn't take long at all.

You make it sound like Elon musk spends a lot of time making sure these decisions will benefit Tesla.

Weird that he would do that.
?

 

[sub]

at 8:59. "the software has to validate the adapter is a legit adapter"

If that is the case and the adapters have validation circuitry in them and aren't just a hunk of plastic with 5 wires that is going to be bad news for the people who ordered those un-tested 3rd party adapters hoping to avoid the wait for the official adapter.

There could be some very expensive paperweights making their way through the postal system right now.

For those who ordered a 3rd party adapter, did they promise to refund you if it turns out that their adapters don't work?

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