Mary Barra and Elon Musk could also be intense enterprise rivals, however they seemed like previous friends as they chatted on Twitter this month a couple of deal that would assist take away one of many greatest obstacles to electrical car possession: not sufficient chargers.

Ms. Barra, the chief govt of Normal Motors, had simply agreed to comply with Ford Motor in adopting the charging know-how developed by Tesla, the carmaker led by Mr. Musk. The offers will permit G.M. and Ford prospects to make use of a few of Tesla’s quick chargers. Worry of not discovering a charger is a primary cause some folks hesitate to purchase electrical automobiles, surveys present.

Ms. Barra gushed in regards to the “implausible” staff at Tesla. Mr. Musk stated it was an “honor” to work along with her.

Beneath the floor of these pleasantries had been in all probability some robust company calculations. G.M., Ford and quite a few charging corporations and gear suppliers have agreed to work with Tesla as a result of they desperately want the corporate’s assist. Along with promoting extra electrical automobiles in the US than all different automakers put collectively, Tesla operates the nation’s largest fast-charging community.

However the determination to work with Tesla comes with massive dangers for the remainder of the auto business, which will probably be counting on Mr. Musk, a mercurial chief, for a necessary know-how. Tesla’s proprietary charging system, which it lately started calling the North American Charging Customary, is just not a product of collaboration amongst quite a few corporations as is usually the case with different technical requirements.

On Tuesday, SAE Worldwide, an affiliation of engineers that units technical requirements for plane and automobiles, stated it had agreed with Tesla to determine a normal for the charging connector. The settlement will permit different automakers and charging corporations to weigh in on the know-how.

However oversight of different elements of the system, just like the software program and charging gear, was unclear and a few rivals had been skeptical of how a lot management Tesla would give up.

The deal additionally comes with dangers for Tesla. Unique entry to the corporate’s charging stations, a few of which already had lengthy traces throughout busy journey occasions, has helped the corporate promote automobiles to prospects who may chafe at having to attend behind Fords and Chevrolets.

Battles over technical requirements are frequent with any new know-how. The outcomes might be painful for corporations or shoppers who guess on the flawed horse. Simply ask anybody who purchased or invested in a video recorder, cellphone or digital music participant that later grew to become out of date.

The stakes with vehicles are a lot increased: They value tens of hundreds of {dollars}, and changing gasoline automobiles with electrical fashions is essential to addressing local weather change.

Some business officers worry that the messy company jockeying over charging know-how may discourage folks from shopping for electrical automobiles.

“It creates confusion,” stated Oleg Logvinov, chair for North America of the Charging Interface Initiative. The group is a discussion board for producers, gear suppliers and charging corporations utilizing the principle rival to Tesla’s commonplace, often known as the Mixed Charging System.

Consumers, Mr. Logvinov added, “will in all probability wait till you possibly can determine which one wins.”

Ford, G.M. and most producers apart from Tesla have been constructing automobiles with C.C.S. plugs, that are the usual in Europe. Charging networks operated by corporations like Electrify America and EVgo primarily provide C.C.S. plugs.

Tesla’s plug is lighter and simpler to deal with however suits solely the corporate’s automobiles. Underneath the agreements with Ford and G.M., Tesla will provide an adapter early subsequent yr enabling automobiles from these producers to connect with about 12,000 of its quick chargers in the US. In 2025, Ford and G.M. plan to make fashions designed to take the Tesla plug with out an adapter.

The mixed clout of Tesla, G.M. and Ford successfully compels operators of charging networks to put in Tesla plugs and should successfully render the C.C.S. plug out of date — no less than in North America — in years to come back. Rivian, a smaller electrical car firm, stated final week that it might additionally change to the Tesla plug, and Volvo made the identical dedication on Tuesday for automobiles the automaker sells in North America. Different producers are contemplating doing so, too.

“For us, it’s essential to ensure charging is actually accessible and simple for purchasers,” R.J. Scaringe, the chief govt of Rivian, stated in an interview.

Because the Tesla plug turns into dominant, folks with automobiles designed to make use of the C.C.S. plug will change into more and more depending on adapters that, for security, are restricted in how a lot voltage they will deal with and can cost extra slowly.

Tesla’s system is thought for being simple to make use of and dependable, whereas C.C.S. chargers might be finicky. Frustration with the prevailing charging community is clearly one cause Ford and G.M. determined to throw of their lot with Tesla.

“I completely don’t suppose this could be occurring if the opposite networks had been extra dependable,” stated Ben Rose, president of Battle Street Analysis, who follows the electrical car business.

However one cause Tesla’s system performs properly is that the corporate designs and manufactures the entire system — the automobile, the software program and the charging {hardware}. Tesla will lose absolute management as soon as different automakers be a part of its community.

Working chargers that may gasoline dozens of automobiles from many various producers is extraordinarily tough.

“We cost 50 completely different fashions,” Cathy Zoi, the chief govt of charging firm EVgo, advised an viewers in New York this month. Producers generally fail to tell EVgo about adjustments to car software program, she stated, resulting in connection issues. “And the charger will get blamed,” she stated.

Tesla constructed a charging community as a result of there have been few locations to cost in 2012 when it started promoting the Mannequin S, its first full-size passenger automobile. Tesla doesn’t disclose monetary details about the community, however analysts say the corporate in all probability loses cash on charging as a way to get folks to purchase its automobiles. Tesla didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Tesla has 19,700 charging ports throughout the US at about 1,800 stations, in response to the Power Division, whereas there are 10,500 C.C.S. ports at 5,300 stations. Solely 12,000 Tesla chargers will probably be open to Ford, G.M. and Rivian automobiles.

The choice by different automakers to ally with Tesla, and generate income for a competitor, is an acknowledgment that Mr. Musk’s firm has probably the most expertise working a charging community.

Mr. Musk promised to not put G.M. and Ford prospects at a drawback, and the opposite automobile corporations say they imagine him. “A G.M. buyer will get handled like a Tesla buyer, and that’s a part of the association,” Alan Wexler, a Normal Motors govt who dealt with the negotiations with Tesla, advised reporters in New York this month.

Rivals are betting that authorities regulators would step in if Tesla tried to create a charging monopoly. Some are glad that somebody is taking the result in take away a serious obstacle to gross sales of electrical automobiles.

“We’re actually on this accelerated progress curve,” stated Brendan Jones, the chief govt of Blink Charging, which plans to put in Tesla plugs in its community. “That is actually going to drive the business ahead.”