Tesla’s charging port (NACS) is compact, efficient, and gets the job done with fast charging capabilities. It has been gaining a lot of recognition from companies showing a preference for it over the other connectivity options (CCS, J1772, CHAdeMO, etc). A side that needed to be chosen as EVs continue to take over the industry.
Some of the first big movements involved Ford and GM announcing that they would begin making use of Tesla’s NACS connection in future vehicles. In hopes of taking advantage of the massive Supercharger network Tesla has spread throughout the country. Eventually, opening up thousands of charging locations to their customers.
Then came Rivian who recently announced the same. While states like Texas and Washington seek to make the connection a requirement through those areas. These along with other gears that have been turning have led to the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) looking to standardize the NACS connection.
This is the win that Tesla has needed to make sure its connector became “the one that everyone uses” (eventually). Like USB, the Edison plug, or any other recognized standard, it is important that we all know what we need or what we are plugging into. Too many options cause too much confusion and standards help to protect us from that and create something familiar we can all agree on.
It won’t be long before charging your EV will be as simple as visiting any gas station. Especially, now that companies like 7-Eleven have been working to add charging stalls to their gas station locations. EVs are quickly becoming the next evolution in place of gas vehicles, so the ease of charging needs to be there and this is exactly what is happening now.
The process has become and won’t happen overnight as both SAE and Tesla come together to discuss any requirements that may be needed to make this standardization a reality. But SAE is looking to fast-track it as EVs continue to grow in popularity.
