Tesla's charging connector for electric vehicles – dubbed North American Charging Standard (NACS) – is set to be the new industry standard, it looks.
On Monday in USA, three EV charging equipment makers – Blink Charging, ChargePoint and Tritium – announced that they would offer chargers with Tesla's connector. Their announcement comes weeks after legacy carmakers Ford and later General Motors made the switch in separate but similar deals that will take effect from 2025.
The partnership between the three carmakers is likely to dominate 60 percent of the US charging market. It might also sound the death knell for the rival Combined Charging System (CCS) port, which has received backing – and billions in subsidy – from the US government.
To be sure, there remain concerns about how Tesla's agreements with Ford and GM will play out. One is how compatible the standards will be with each other. The other is who will bear the additional cost of maintaining two standards?
Interoperability is also a key issue, and neither Tesla nor Ford and GM have explained how interoperability would work or how their payments are structured.
Tesla's Superchargers are integrated with the company's vehicles and payment for charging is tied to the accounts of users, allowing them to pay seamlessly through an app. In addition, the company offers adapters that allow owners to charge their Teslas at rival charging stations as well.