Electrify America, a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, has announced that it will add the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector to its charging networks, while continuing to support the Combined Charging System (CCS-1) plug standard. This move is in response to increasing acceptance of Tesla's NACS by leading automakers like General Motors, Ford, Rivian, and Volvo. Electrify America aims to offer the NACS connector at existing and future charging stations by 2025, as part of the company's commitment to increase vehicle interoperability and streamline public charging.
Meanwhile, SAE International, a professional association and standards organization, is actively working on making Tesla's charging connector an industry standard configuration. This is expected to take six months or less, and will involve discussions with Tesla, Ford, GM, and other automakers, as well as the federal government. The US government's approach to CCS and NACS connectors aims to create a more interoperable and accessible set of chargers across the country.
The inclusion of the NACS connector in the Electrify America's network will further support the growth of the EV industry by providing more charging options for EV drivers. As EV adoption accelerates, Electrify America, with its vast network of more than 850 charging stations with about 4,000 individual chargers, is prepared to meet the changing needs of customers.
This comes in the context of Tesla's charging technology being fast-tracked to become a North American standard, a move supported by multiple automakers. The switch from the CCS1 to the NACS connector may also lead to the elimination of the J1772 AC plug, a separate AC charging plug.