USA: Volkwagen Group and Polestar opt for Tesla charging connector and plug

The Volkswagen Group also opens up to Tesla’s fast charging system in North America. Charging infrastructure subsidiary Electrify America announces that it will integrate the NACS connection into its fast charging stations in the USA and Canada. And that might not be all.

Tesla’s North American Charging standard – or NACS – connectors will be available at all new and existing stations from 2025 – alongside CCS connectors. The VW company will do so to “also support automakers adding NACS charging ports,” as several carmakers announced in recent weeks that they would offer their EVs with the Tesla charging technology in the future.

“Since our founding, we have focused on building an inclusive and open hyper-fast charging network to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles,” says Robert Barrosa, president and CEO of Electrify America. “We look forward to continuing to support industry-wide standards that increase vehicle interoperability and streamline public charging.”

And that is not all. Parent company VW is allegedly also talking to Tesla and could offer its electric cars with Tesla’s charging design in the United States. “Volkswagen Group and its brands are currently evaluating the implementation of the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) for its North American customers,” Volkswagen told Reuters.

While Volkswagen is still weighing its options to avoid losing US customers, Polestar confirmed the move. The Volvo subsidiary will equip all new vehicles “with the NACS charging port by default.” Moreover, the carmaker will issue NACS adapters from mid-2024 to allow its drivers access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. “Future NACS-equipped Polestar vehicles will come with a CCS adapter,” the carmaker says, to “maintain compatibility with existing CCS public fast charging infrastructure in North America.”

The move is not surprising, as parent company Volvo announced that it would also offer its cars with NACS plugs from 2025. Carmakers Ford, General Motors, and Rivian have recently struck similar deals.

“We salute the pioneering work Tesla has done to speed up the adoption and increase the popularity of electric vehicles, and it’s great to see the Supercharger network being made available in this way,” says Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

NACS or CCS1: Will there be a new or two standards in the US?

And another company is getting ready for the Tesla technology path: ADS-TEC Energy, a German supplier of storage-based ultra-fast charging systems. While the company did not announce any concrete plant, it says that “it is open to supporting all options for charging system standards” and wonders “whether NACS will displace the Combined Charging System Combo 1 (CCS1) standard in North America,” now that the above-mentioned carmakers will use the inlet in the future, “or whether they can exist in parallel in the long term.”

ADS TEC also weighs in on the debate on whether adopting NACS is a good idea. “Even though Tesla has the largest installed base of fast chargers, they have been designed for 400 volts, to date, and more and more 800-volt vehicles are coming to the market”, the company states. So for the standard to support fast charging for future EVs, technical updates will have to be made. “So why not just switch to CCS1?”

Even though Tesla calls the NACS a “standard,” it is not one yet. Tesla developed it in-house and has yet to go through the usual certification procedures. The CCS organisation CharIN recently announced its intention to initiate such a procedure with a working group of 51 companies. And the standardisation organisation SAE International also says it will standardise Tesla’s NACS connection to ensure that “every manufacturer and supplier can use, make or deploy the NACS connector in electric cars and at charging stations across North America”.

The SAE announced an “accelerated timeframe” for the development – but this timeframe is not described in more detail.

electrifyamerica.com, reuters.com (Volkswagen), polestar.com, ads-tec-energy.com

3 Comments

about „USA: Volkwagen Group and Polestar opt for Tesla charging connector and plug“

pdbw

30.06.2023 um 15:01

Rather a misleading headline, as VW Group has not opted in to NACS. Electrify America--which is owned by VW Group of America--has done so, which is quite a different story.

Dunstan Power

05.07.2023 um 14:34

While the collaboration between Polestar and Tesla to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) might initially appear as a step forward for EV infrastructure, concerns still remain. First, the potential for a lack of universal standardisation across all EV charging networks.The adoption of NACS by Polestar, while increasing access to Tesla's Supercharger network, may inadvertently contribute to a fragmented charging landscape, making it more complex for other EV manufacturers and drivers to navigate.Also, the promise of providing adapters to existing Polestar drivers by mid-2024 seems ambitious, with potential risks of supply chain disruptions that could delay the rollout. It’s important to consider the potential impact on the existing CCS public fast charging infrastructure. Will this move dilute the efforts made to establish and promote CCS as a widespread standard?While collaborations like these are essential for the growth of the EV industry, we shouldn’t overlook the broader implications. A more comprehensive, unified approach to charging standards may better serve the long-term goals of global EV adoption and sustainability.

pdbw

10.07.2023 um 13:49

Good points. I've been telling people that every single EV driver in America will likely have to carry around an adapter for at least the next five years...