Ford and Lectron talk about their Tesla Supercharger adapter in the most recent episode of State Of Charge when Tom Moloughney spoke with Ken Williams, Ford’s Director of EV Charging and Energy Services, and the CEO of Lectron, Chris Maiwald. The overall topic is NACS-to-CCS1 adapters and the fruitful collaboration between the two companies.

NACS-to-CCS1 DC fast-charging adapters are crucial elements in the transition period from the CCS1 to NACS (SAE J3400) charging standards. Ford was the first to sign up for the change and the first to gain access to the Tesla Supercharging network, as well as the first to announce free adapters for its existing EV customers.

Initially, Ford (just like other OEMs) relied on Tesla-supplied NACS-to-CCS1 adapters, which caused a bottleneck. There was no easy way to provide enough adapters for about 140,000 Ford EV customers in the US (plus additional ones for new cars).

As it turns out, Ford quickly realized that the number of customers opting for an adapter significantly exceeded Tesla’s limited supply. That is why, about a year ago, Ford entered into a partnership with Lectron, a manufacturer of EV charging equipment, which had already released its NACS-to-CCS1 adapter to the market: the Lectron Vortex.

Ford’s plan was to co-develop its own version of the NACS-to-CCS1 adapter with Lectron and ensure that it complies with the most rigorous requirements. Multiple changes were applied to the Lectron Vortex base, including the latch, trigger, and the addition of an interlock pin. Ford also comprehensively tested the new adapter to be 100% sure about its sealing and robust construction.

The all-new Ford-branded adapter is produced by Lectron for Ford (Ford holds all rights to the product) and is offered for $200. Ford no longer sells Tesla-supplied adapters. Meanwhile, Lectron continues to sell its original Lectron Vortex adapter, which is still considered safe and good enough for general use. Both products are expected to get the new UL2252 certification.

The Ford-branded NACS-to-CCS1 adapter. (Source: Ford)

80,000 Adapters in a Few Months

After months of development, Ford and Lectron finally launched production of the Ford-branded adapter, which was announced in October 2024. In early March 2025, Ford announced that had completed shipments of nearly 140,000 free adapters to customers in the US.

Ken Williams, Ford’s Director of EV Charging and Energy Services, revealed that the company delivered some 61,000 adapters by early January, and about 140,000 by the end of February. This means that there was a tremendous production acceleration to produce some 80,000 adapters in two months, or about 9 weeks.

The volume appears in line with Lectron’s announcement about its NACS-to-CCS1 adapter production capacity increase to 12,000 per week in November 2024. Today, the company works with multiple automakers (specifically on the development of new products), which might potentially result in another manufacturing contract. Chris Maiwald, Lectron’s CEO, pointed out that there are no supply constraints on the company’s NACS-to-CCS1 adapters.

Ford on Non-Approved Adapters

When asked about third-party, non-approved adapters, Ford’s position is simple — use only the approved adapters provided by Ford. The company might consider the use of other adapters in the future, once they are UL-certified.

Check out more info in the video.

Video timestamps:

05:10 The interview begins – Why did Ford select Lectron?
09:26 Will Lectron also sell the new adapter directly?
10:45 What about UL2252 certification?
14:15 Ford’s position on using non-approved adapters
20:12 Is Lectron working with any other automaker on an adapter?
23:13 Did Tesla fail to deliver what it promised?
25:48 Why is the NACS to CCS1 adapter so important?
31:13 Summary