Through a series of deals with other automakers, Tesla Motors may be on the road to solving one the smallest, most frustrating obstacles on the road to simple, trouble-free electric vehicle charging—the need for a single set of plug-ins that all makes and models of EVs can use.
Until now, EVs sold in North America have come equipped with one of three different types of plugs, Electric Autonomy Canada explains—the Combined Charging System (CCS) available in many North American and European models, the CHAdeMO format that has been popular with some Japanese automakers, and the plug-in originally known as the Tesla Charging Connector that was first introduced in 2012.
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None of the three charging protocols will support each other, and “these incompatibilities present a host of challenges,” Electric Autonomy writes. “It complicates the charging experience for EV owners, increases the hardware burden on charging network operators who may elect to provide more than one type of charging to reach more customers, and also adds risk and confusion for automakers when deciding which standard to adopt.”
Until now.
Tesla Opens the Door…
In November, 2022, Tesla rechristened its charging protocol the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and announced it would make its connector design and specifications available for download by other automakers. “By opening up the NACS to other automakers, Tesla says it aims to encourage both charging network operators and automakers to adopt the technology and ultimately work towards making it the new standard for EV charging in North America,” the news story states.
“In pursuit of our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, today we are opening our EV connector design to the world,” Tesla declared in a November 11 blog post. “With more than a decade of use and 20 billion EV charging miles to its name, the Tesla charging connector is the most proven in North America,” offering AC and DC charging in “one slim package” that “has no moving parts, is half the size, and twice as powerful” as CCS connectors.
While EV charger funding through the Canada Infrastructure Bank is not restricted to any one charging protocol, Electric Autonomy says it remains to be seen whether the other connectors will be able to co-exist with NACS. In the United States, the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) association, which has supported CCS as a global charging standard, said any technology would have to go through an independent standard development process to become dominant.
But Politico says Tesla’s moves to entrench the NACS could throw a wrench into a key Biden administration climate policy, after Washington based a US$7.5-billion funding program for federal infrastructure on a rival charging protocol.
“The result: The still-burgeoning electric vehicle market is facing a split between two incompatible charging standards—a divide that could either slow the adoption of EVs or cause Washington to sink hundreds of millions of dollars into chargers that the cars and trucks of the future won’t use,” Politico writes.
“Imagine having a fuel dispenser with a different size hole than your gas tank,” said Arcady Sosinov, founder and CEO of charging company FreeWire Technologies, which has bought into the NACS standard. “It just seems ridiculous, but that’s essentially what’s happening in the EV charging industry.”
…and Automakers Sign Up
The reaction from Tesla’s competitors was fairly swift. Niche manufacturer Aptera Motors signed up almost immediately, Electric Autonomy says. Ford Motors adopted the NACS in late May, General Motors followed June 8, electric truck maker Rivian announced June 20, and Volvo became the first European carmaker to join the crowd a week later, with existing EV owners due to receive charging adapters by the beginning of next year. GM and Ford will begin building NACS connectors into their cars in 2025.
“Our vision of the all-electric future means producing millions of world-class EVs across categories and price points, while creating an ecosystem that will accelerate mass EV adoption,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said in a release.
But the New York Times says the deal carries risks for all parties.
“By adopting Tesla’s charging standard, Ford and GM… risk becoming dependent on their most formidable competitor. Neither of the Michigan-based automakers sells anywhere near as many electric cars as Tesla, and neither operates a charging network,” writes automotive specialist Jack Ewing.
But “the agreement also has risks for Tesla. The popularity of its cars has created congestion at the company’s charging stations in some cities and along some highways. Tesla owners may become irritated that they will now have to queue with cars made by Ford and GM.”
Much of the rest of the industry appears to be jumping onboard, as well. Electric Autonomy says Quebec-based EV charging giant FLO will offer NACS plug-ins across its network of 90,000 fast and Level 2 chargers. “FLO welcomes initiatives to standardize charging hardware in North America because we believe it will help eliminate confusion for EV drivers,” Chief Product Officer Nathan Yang said in a prepared statement. In the U.S., “electric vehicle charging station makers and operators like ChargePoint and EVgo have recently announced support,” The Verge writes.
