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- Volkswagen Group's Electrify America charging network reveals plans to add Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors soon to its new and existing charging stations.
- The network currently operates 850 stations with about 4000 individual chargers in the US and Canada.
- Blink Charging will also begin producing NACS connectors starting later this year.
Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) is on a roll, after several automakers have revealed plans for owners of their EVs to use Tesla's Supercharging network starting in 2024, ahead of plans to offer built-in NACS ports in their cars the following year.
But Tesla's NACS won't be confined just to Supercharger stations.
Electrify America, Volkswagen Group's charging network, will also add the NACS connector to its chargers in the US and Canada by 2025. The network will continue to support the Combined Charging System (CCS-1) connector, which is currently the most prevalent non-Tesla connector type.
"Since our founding, we have focused on building an inclusive and open hyper-fast charging network to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles," said 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."
Electrify America currently has over 850 stations with about 4000 individual chargers in the US and Canada, offering 150 kW and 350 kW charging speeds.
Electrify America isn't the first outside EV charging network to announce plans to offer NACS connectors at its stations, as Blink Charging revealed earlier this month that it will begin producing NACS connectors starting in October of this year, with plans to add them to Level 2 as well as DC fast-chargers. The new connectors are expected to begin to be added to stations in early 2024.
"Given that L2 chargers currently account for approximately 90% of EV charging use in the United States, it is crucial to provide accessible technology to minimize driver confusion and create a convenient and seamless EV charging experience," Blink Charging said this week.
With a sudden, massive wave of NACS adoption, it is likely other automakers and third-party charging networks will be tempted to follow suit.
Get ready for more NACS announcements from automakers and station builders alike in the coming weeks.
Will the sudden appearance of other EVs at Tesla Supercharger stations diminish Tesla's market appeal? Let us know what you think.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
