More automakers are moving toward Tesla’s North American Charging Standard.
Currently, most EVs use the CCS (Combined Charging System), but there’s been a seismic shift over the past several weeks. Ford announced it would begin selling its EVs with the NACS Tesla-style port moving forward, with General Motors eventually following suit. Now, on Tuesday, electric automaker Rivian announced it would do the same thing.
Rivian says it will join Tesla’s Supercharger network next year and, like two of the Big Three automakers, begin integrating NACS charging ports into its vehicles in 2025. In the meantime, it plans to offer an adapter to current R1S and R1T owners to take advantage of available Superchargers. The company still does plan to expand its own “Adventure Network”, though those will also switch to NACS connectors in due time.
While several companies are working to expand their nationwide charging infrastructure, Tesla currently holds a strong reputation as the largest and most conveniently located DC fast chargers. That last point is particularly important, as more buyers adopt EVs and need ready access to fast charging for long distance trips.
Stellantis and Hyundai may join Ford, GM and Rivian and switch to NACS
Right now, Stellantis is also evaluating whether it will move to adopt the NACS standard, like Ford and GM. CEO Carlos Tavares noted “it can have good things and bad things” in an Associated Press interview. The automaker does not currently sell any fully electric vehicles in the U.S., though it plans to change that with the re-introduction of its Fiat 500e and the launch of its new Ram 1500 REV next year, with plans for more EVs over the coming years.
South Korean automaker Hyundai’s preisdent and CEO Jaehoon Chang also said Tuesday the company is considering a switch to the NACS standard. Cars using its 800-volt electrical architecture, like the Ioniq 5 and 6, can actually take advantage of far higher charging rates than many current EVs. However, Chang noted the current “V3” Supercharger caps out at 250 kW, and its cars can achieve higher charging rates with some other chargers.
Tesla is rolling out its more capable Supercharger V4 network this year, which may rectify that issue. The company’s decision to open its charging network to other brands stems from a condition to qualify for up to $7.5 billion in U.S. federal subsidies, set forth by the Biden administration to accelerate the deployment of robust rapid-charging infrastructure.
The move could also be financially lucrative for Tesla. Since the beginning of this year, the company’s stock price has nearly doubled. It’s gone up 40% since May, when the first automakers announced it would switch to NACS instead of using the CCS standard developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
