What's going on?

Tesla decided that sharing is caring, and opened its network of EV charging stations to Ford drivers.

What does this mean?

The US is a vast country, and the distances that some Americans travel to work would carry you across half a dozen national borders somewhere like central Europe. But that free-wheeling spirit poses a problem for the EV industry: after all, charging stations are still few and far between, and drivers risk running out of power on longer journeys.

Now, though, Ford�s making life on the road a little easier for its EV owners: they�ll be given access to Tesla�s 12,000 fast-charging stations � more than doubling the number of fast-charging stations in Ford�s North American network. And while current owners will need an adapter to plug in, Ford�s next generation of EVs will be designed to connect seamlessly with Tesla�s stations.

Why should I care?

The bigger picture: An offer Tesla couldn�t refuse.
Let�s face it: Tesla didn�t have much of a choice here. The US government�s long had a problem with how jealously the firm guards its charging stations � and its latest tack essentially involved saying, �Nice government subsidies you�ve got there. It would be a shame if something happened to them.� That meant Tesla was planning to open up its charging network to all EVs by 2024 anyway. But whether that turns out to be a boon � or whether it just robs Tesla�s cars of a key competitive advantage � is still up in the air.

For markets: Early but expected.
Given that Tesla was already planning to open its charging network, analysts will already have factored this move�s cash-generating prospects into their predictions for the firm�s stock. So even though this announcement didn�t really change anything long-term, it has brought forward aspects of that plan � along with some of the profit. And that little fast-forward might explain why Tesla’s stock rose on Friday.