After a delay of several months, General Motors said owners of its battery-powered models would now be able to use Tesla charging stations with adapters.
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.