- Where Do The Automakers Stand?
- What About The Charging Providers?
- Why Are Automakers Switching To NACS?
- Potential Pitfalls
- Our Prediction: Tesla Wins
Ford, GM, Rivian, and Volvo have caved; will others follow? We asked them all.
Read in this article:
- Where Do The Automakers Stand?
- What About The Charging Providers?
- Why Are Automakers Switching To NACS?
- Potential Pitfalls
- Our Prediction: Tesla Wins
The electric vehicle market has been forever changed in recent weeks as several automakers announced a switch to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge connector used by Tesla, ditching the previous industry standard, the Combined Charging System (CCS). We could be witnessing the next VHS vs. Betamax or HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray format war happening in real-time.
Following confirmation from the White House that Tesla had agreed to open approximately 12,000 Supercharger stations to other brands in return for some sweet government incentives, a period of limbo was quickly broken by a slew of manufacturer announcements.
Ford was the first automaker to announce the switch starting in 2024 with an NACS-to-CCS adapter, followed by an eventual switch to the Tesla plug. General Motors quickly followed, also using adapters at first, and then Rivian announced it would integrate NACS plugs into its next-generation R2 vehicles starting in 2025. Last but not least, Volvo will switch by 2025, as will its spun-off performance brand, Polestar.
With so many automakers announcing their intent to switch to Tesla's charging standard, and many others considering a change, it feels like the nails are rapidly being hammered into CCS's coffin. That being said, there are still a ton of vehicles on sale that continue to use CCS and will be on the road for years to come. This is a complex situation that's worth investigating.
Where Do The Automakers Stand?
Ford, GM, Rivian, and Volvo have already caved, but other automakers aren't as quick to declare their allegiance to Tesla. CarBuzz reached out to a handful of automakers that have not yet made any announcements regarding the charging standard. Nearly all of these statements are fairly noncommittal, but a few seem more open than others.
BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce: “The BMW Group said many times before that the comprehensive expansion of reliable and powerful charging infrastructure is one of the critical keys to widespread EV adoption. We are actively monitoring the discussion and will take the right steps in due course to ensure a seamless EV journey for our customers.”
Honda: “We are focused on providing the best electric vehicle ownership experience for our customers, and we continue to investigate all possible options to ensure an excellent user experience and access to reliable public charging options as we prepare for the launch of our first volume BEV models.”
Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis: “We are always evaluating available technology solutions that could improve the customer experience, but don't have anything to announce at this time.” Hyundai's CEO has previously mentioned he would consider switching but wants customer input first.
Nissan: “Nissan supports initiatives that promote greater EV adoption and contribute towards more convenient charging options for drivers. We are evaluating a variety of opportunities to provide customers the best EV ownership experience, but we don't have any updates to share at this time.”
Stellantis: “Our focus is to provide the customer the best charging experience possible. Our Free2Move Charge brand will offer seamless, simple solutions whether at home or on the go through partnerships with charging providers. At this time, we continue to evaluate the NACS standard and look forward to discussing more in the future.”
Toyota: “At this time, we have nothing to announce.”
Volkswagen and Audi: “We are evaluating it, but [have] nothing to share at this time.”
While none of these are committed answers, we can foresee any of these companies making a decision as being a major tipping point that will start the domino effect for the rest.
What About The Charging Providers?
Though the automakers don't seem fully on board with the switch to NACS, at least not as of this writing, the charging providers seem to be more receptive.
Electrify Americawill install NACS connectors at new and existing stations as of 2025 but will continue to support CCS. EVgoannounced a similar timeline, and ChargePoint says it's been working on a solution for NACS charging since before this recent news. Even state governments like Texas have made NACS the new charging standard to qualify for state funds.
Why Are Automakers Switching To NACS?
Why are so many automakers switching (or considering switching) to a different charging standard after years of using CCS? There are some obvious benefits to NACS, including the physical size of the connector. Compared to CCS, which is bulky and sometimes cumbersome, NACS is slimmer and easier to plug and unplug.
The numbers are constantly changing and infrequently updated, but Tesla's Supercharger network is considered the gold standard in North America. Tesla currently operates 1,728 locations in the USA (as of April 2023) with approximately 17,000 individual plugs, though not all of these are DC fast chargers. For comparison, Volkswagen Group-owned Electrify America has 800 total stations with 3,500 DC fast chargers. ChargePoint technically has the largest network with 27,000 stations and around 50,000 plugs, but most of those are only Level 2.
Because Tesla Superchargers have only ever needed to communicate with Tesla vehicles, the “handshake” between the car and the charger has been completely seamless. There are no screens on the Superchargers or complicated payment methods; just plug in and charge. It remains to be seen if this smooth user experience will hold up when the network is opened to non-Tesla vehicles.
Potential Pitfalls
More EV owners gaining access to more chargers is a net positive, but there will likely be some growing pains with the switch from CCS to NACS. For starters, Tesla's Version 3 (V3) Superchargers can only output 400 volts with a max 250 kW charging speed. Vehicles with 800-volt charging architectures, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, will charge slower than their potential when using a Supercharger. This will be particularly detrimental for cars with huge batteries, like the GMC Hummer EV or the Lucid Air, the latter of which has an industry-leading 900-volt charging architecture.
V4 Superchargers will reportedly support 800-volt charging and faster speeds, but there is no official confirmation when they will arrive or what speeds they will support.
Lucid boss, Peter Rawlinson, is on record saying his company will not switch until such time as Tesla enables 1000V DC charging.
While the rest of the EV industry is adopting NACS, @LucidMotors and CEO Peter Rawlinson are refusing to switch until Tesla enables 1000V DC charging at Superchargers.
Why doesn't Lucid poll their customers to see what they prefer instead of making the decision for them? pic.twitter.com/NfCis75lmG
— Jeff 💙✌️ (@JeffTutorials) June 20, 2023
For now, drivers with CCS-equipped cars must use adapters when they visit Tesla stations. Tesla's Magic Dock system makes this a fairly easy process, but it's still an added step that Tesla owners don't need to take. Likewise, CCS chargers aren't going away overnight, so owners of NACS-equipped EVs will still need to carry around an adapter at all times.
There's also a question of charging port placement. All Tesla vehicles have their ports positioned on the driver's side rear taillight, meaning most owners are required to back up into the station. Some EVs have their CCS chargers located in vastly different places, and since the Supercharger cables don't stretch that far, it can cause logistical issues on certain makes and models.
It's also worth noting that all those Tesla Model Y drivers may wait longer to charge with more vehicles using the stations.
Our Prediction: Tesla Wins
We don't have a crystal ball, so this is all purely our opinion. It truly feels like Tesla has won out here, and the NACS connector will soon become the only standard in the US market.
There may be a few holdouts, but once a few more dominoes fall (particularly the Hyundai Motor Group or Volkswagen Group), it will likely spell doom for CCS.
Having two different charging standards, including one that could only be used by a single brand, was never going to be sustainable. Though it went (and is going) differently than we expected, the switch to a single standard will eventually be a positive move.
Ultimately, it seems Elon Musk has made good on Tesla's original mission statement: “to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible.”
Every EV driver may not own a Tesla, but Tesla's Supercharger network will certainly make it easier to own an EV.
Keyword: Has Tesla Officially Won The EV Charging War? We Think So