Just seven months ago, Tesla made a surprising announcement: the company would share its proprietary EV Charging connector design, the North American Charging Standard (NACS), in a bid to encourage other automakers to adopt the technology and help establish it as the new standard in North America​​. Few predicted that its competitors would take the bait.

Ford and GM Join the Fray.

In a move that shocked the industry, both Ford and General Motors announced they would integrate Tesla’s charging technology into their next-generation vehicles by 2025​. This step solidifies an ongoing standards war that is expected to last for at least a decade and indicates a major shift in the EV industry. The NACS, a superior experience according to many industry insiders, seems to be gaining traction and more original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are expected to adopt it​.

The Death of CCS Charging

Previously, the Combined Charging System (CCS) was the go-to standard for most automakers. Developed by a consortium of automotive manufacturers, including Ford, Volkswagen, and Daimler, the CCS was recognized internationally. Tesla, however, chose a different path, developing the NACS, which includes the charging port and connector, and building a network of thousands of Superchargers only accessible to vehicles with the NACS standard​.

The quality of Tesla’s charging system, from the size and weight of the charging cables to the quality of the Supercharging stations and the ease of payment, has played a significant role in making Tesla the number one seller of EVs​.

The Future of Charging

With Ford and GM’s recent announcements, it appears they are unwilling to put their success in the hands of charging networks that are not meeting their standards. This is a significant statement and poses a direct challenge to other networks such as Electrify Americas and EVgos​​.

Tesla is planning to make 7,500 Superchargers available to non-Tesla vehicles by 2024, but it is not yet clear whether Ford’s and GM’s alignments with Tesla will change these plans​​. As more vehicles gain access to Tesla’s Superchargers, the utilization of these chargers will increase. However, this comes with its own set of challenges, as some Supercharger locations are already crowded with Teslas​.

Impact on the Industry

The EV charging industry, still in its early stages, is already living in a two-standard system, at least in the United States​​. The increasing use of Tesla’s existing chargers could help fund the deployment of more infrastructure, potentially fracturing the industry even further​​.

While proponents of the CCS might lament the premature demise of a standardized charging protocol, the tides are changing and it seems that Tesla’s NACS is leading the charge. The recent announcements by Ford and GM are proof that the Ccs Charging standard could be on its way out, making room for the rise of the NACS.

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