Tesla Superchargers are about to get a lot more crowded

• GM is the latest company to get access to Tesla's Superchargers.
• Most major automakers said last year they would adopt Tesla's NACS.
• Adoption has been slow after Tesla shrank its charging team.

General Motors is the latest car company to grant its drivers access to Tesla's vast Supercharger network.

The company announced Wednesday that GM electric-vehicle drivers, including those from brands like Chevrolet and Cadillac, could use a $225 adapter to charge at any of Tesla's 17,800 Supercharger stations.

This is the latest move by GM to improve charging access for its EV customers. With the addition of the Supercharger network, GM drivers can now charge at more than 231,800 Level 2 and DC fast chargers across North America, according to the Detroit automaker.

That number is expected to grow even more in the coming months as GM expands its network of public charging stations with EVgo . Earlier this month, the companies announced they were working together on a network of fast-charging hubs that would look and operate like gas stations (minus the gas).

These back-to-back charging announcements from GM should signal to customers that the car company is committed to improving the public-charging experience, GM's energy vice president, Wade Sheffer, said.

"It is our intent to be the leader in providing fast, convenient, and safe charging in the public infrastructure," Sheffer told Business Insider.

Car companies working together is rare — but necessary for EV charging

GM was among the many car companies that partnered with Tesla last year to adopt the North American Charging Standard. Its rival Ford was the first to join Tesla with the NACS, in May 2023, and companies such as GM, Rivian, Volvo, and BMW later followed suit.

The agreements to use Tesla's Superchargers were met with some reticence from Tesla owners, who worry about longer lines at the already-crowded stations. GM sold nearly 40,000 electric vehicles in the first half of 2024.

Adoption has been slow, however, as Tesla shrank its Supercharger team earlier this year. GM is only the third company to gain access after Ford and Rivian drivers started using Superchargers earlier this year.

Efforts to patch holes in the US charging infrastructure have been haphazard over the past decade, and access to public charging on longer drives has long been a pain point for EV drivers.

The past few years have seen rapid improvements, with the number of charging stations in the US more than doubling since 2020 and $7.5 billion in promised federal funding for 500,000 new EV stations by 2030.

In the meantime, though, Sheffer said otherwise aggressive competitors would have to work together to solve the charging problem .

"Even though there is fierce competition when it comes to our vehicles," Sheffer told BI, "we can all align on wanting to provide the best charger experience for our customers collectively."