Ford, GM, and Rivian Adopt Tesla’s EV Charging Standard: What This Means for the Future

This blog is originally posted on Redaptive Insights blog.

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is gaining considerable traction in the United States, prompting automakers to invest heavily in new charging infrastructure. However, the fragmented charging ecosystem has raised reliability concerns for auto manufacturers and EV users alike. Ford, General Motors and Rivian have all recently announced that they would be adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard “NACS” charging standard a significant shift from the current CCS/J1772 standard used in most non-Tesla EVs in North America. This means future Ford, GM and Rivian vehicles will be equipped with NACS and these vehicles will have access to Tesla’s supercharger network. Does this spell the beginning of the end for CCS/J1772 in North America?

A Shift Towards EV Charging Standardization?

EV adoption is accelerating rapidly in the United States, prompting major investments in charging infrastructure. However, these investments have been highlighted across existing charging infrastructure. In a dual effort to promote widespread EV adoption and increase eligibility for federal EVC grants, Tesla opened its previously proprietary North American Charging Standard (“NACS”) design to other vehicle manufacturers last year.

The adoption of Tesla’s charging standard could have a significant impact on the charging infrastructure ecosystem moving forward. With NACS becoming more widely adopted, it could become the new standard, replacing CCS/J1772. This change could streamline the charging experience for EV users, minimizing compatibility and reliability issues when charging their vehicles.

Using Charging-as-a-Service to Plan for EV Infrastructure While Removing Market Risk

However, this change also means that companies planning to install EV stations on their property will need to accommodate NACS and stay abreast of the changing market. Utilizing Charging-as-a-Service for infrastructure planning and implementation lifts the burden and risk from companies to Redaptive. Redaptive works closely with customers and hardware partners to either equip new stations with NACS or ensure that they can be easily up-fitted to the new standard in the future.

The shift to Tesla’s NACS charging standard by Ford, GM, and Rivian is a significant milestone for the charging infrastructure ecosystem and EV adoption in the United States. The adoption of a standard charging structure is an important step in streamlining the charging experience for EV users. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of investing in charging infrastructure that promotes reliability, compatibility, and quality. Redaptive is committed to ensuring that its EVC infrastructure solutions can adapt to industry shifts such as the adoption of NACS to continue supporting the EV adoption journey.