by The White House is lending its support to the auto industry’s effort to standardize Tesla electric vehicle charging plugs for all EVs in the United States, as part of a broad effort to encourage their sales to help combat climate change.
More than 1 million EVs were sold in the United States in 2023, a record, but that pace still lags behind sales in countries like China and Germany. One main reason is that the limited availability of charging infrastructure across the country has been a widespread concern for many potential buyers of electric vehicles and has held back their sales in the United States.
Tesla, the leader in the EV market, operates the largest network of fast chargers. And many of its Supercharger stations are in prime locations along popular routes, where other charging stations are scarce.
On Tuesday, SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, confirmed Tesla’s new standard charging connector in North America. That connector, called NACS, connects Tesla EVs to the company’s network. In June, the automotive organization said it would set standards for Tesla’s EV charging plug to allow it to work with all EVs.
The new standard “ensures that any vehicle or charging equipment supplier or manufacturer will be able to use, manufacture or deploy the connector and expand charging access for current and future EV drivers across the country,” said Joint Office US Energy and Transportation. in a statement on Tuesday.
The standard could help boost consumer confidence in EVs as the White House, the auto industry and other stakeholders seek to encourage mass adoption. President Joe Biden has made transportation decarbonization a priority and has set the ambitious goal of 50 percent of all new vehicle sales in the United States being electric by 2030.
Tesla’s charging standard has long been in conflict with the Combined Charging Standard connector, which most other operators have incorporated into their EVs. Tuesday’s announcement essentially formalizes what is already happening across the industry this year.
Tesla earlier this year agreed to open up parts of its network, with plans to provide access to at least 7,500 of its chargers to non-Teslas by the end of 2024. Since then, nearly every major global automaker has signed up to NACS use with their EVs and will accept Tesla’s charging network in the future, with the exception of some holdings including Stellantis and Volkswagen.
“Now, nobody can say it’s just ‘the Tesla thing,'” said Loren McDonald, CEO of EVAdoption LLC, an independent industry analysis firm that tracks NACS.
By next year, Ford, General Motors and others say they plan to provide adapters to customers whose EVs are now equipped with CCS technology so they can plug into Tesla’s network without the need for a NACS connector. Most of these automakers will begin officially fitting their EVs with NACS starting in 2025.
Senior Biden administration officials told the Associated Press that they expect many vehicles to use the two connectors on the road for some time.
McDonald warned, however, that many EV drivers may be confused by the shift in charger technology and the distribution of adapters.
“Millions of CCS connector vehicles will still be on the road for several years, and they will last for a long time,” McDonald said. “Until we know how the automakers are actually distributing these adapters, I don’t know how it will help solve this problem over the next few years if you’re already a CCS owner.
“The reality of all this is that we’re going to be living in adapter hell for years to come and that transition is going to be a problem, then, for mainstream consumers who say, ‘I don’t get this.’ “
At the same time, some automakers are still investing in their own charging initiatives without Tesla. Mercedes-Benz is building its own network, and seven automakers have announced plans to build fast charging together.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
The Biden administration’s bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, signed into effect in November 2021, set aside $7.5 billion to build a nationwide EV charging network.
The Federal Highway Administration established requirements for federally funded charging stations that require a CCS plug, although it also allowed other plugs. The agency will now determine how the new standard for Tesla plug-ins meets those requirements.
The administration and climate advocates view widespread EV ownership as one way to help reduce the transportation sector’s reliance on fossil fuels, which are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
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Alexa St. is an Associated Press climate solutions reporter. John. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alexa_stjohn. Contact her at ast.john@ap.org.
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AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.
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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage is supported by several private foundations. See more about the AP climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all matters.
