When Will All Fast-Charging Stations Be Open to All EVs?

Tesla’s charging connector system — modestly renamed the North American Charging Standard — has the Big Mo, with several rival electric-vehicle automakers announcing they’ll switch to the Tesla plug. This, along with other recent charging announcements, promises to get us a few steps closer to the day when an electric-vehicle driver can pull into any highway charging station like they would an Exxon or Mobil station with a gas vehicle. But progress beyond the promise is likely to be measured in years rather than months.

Related: 6 Automakers Band Together in New EV Charging Network

Still, it’s a big step for a growing number of automakers to switch from the main open charging standard — the Combined Charging System now used on nearly all non-Tesla EVs in North America — to a formerly private Tesla standard that the company only recently opened to others. The switch will let their buyers access the Tesla-owned Supercharger network, the largest fast-charging network in the U.S., which has about 20,000 ports at nearly 2,000 locations, according to the Department of Energy — about two-thirds of the available fast chargers in the States.

This is just one development in the fast-changing landscape. A consortium of major automakers has announced a joint venture to build a new North American network of stations that cater to both the CCS and NACS with 30,000 fast chargers. Meanwhile, other charging networks, including Electrify America and EVgo, say they’ll add NACS connectors to their stations. Tesla is also beginning to make some of its Superchargers usable by CCS cars while already selling an adapter that lets its owners charge up at CCS stations.

It’s About DC Fast Charging

Note that what we’re talking about is more open DC fast charging. Slower public Level 2 charging is adequate for routine charging, cheaper, technically simpler and usable by all EVs. Adapters already exist to allow both Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles to use virtually all Level 2 chargers, including Tesla’s Destination network that’s hosted by businesses such as hotels and restaurants.

But DC fast charging, which allows for fill-ups for a depleted battery measured in minutes rather than hours, is needed to handle heavier demands, including road trips. CCS and Tesla fast chargers have not been compatible, and that’s what is starting to change. The government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the U.S. will need 182,000 DC fast chargers to support an expected 30 million to 42 million plug-ins by 2030, up from the current 33,000 ports.

Also helping drive the NACS momentum is the sad truth that CCS public charging often has been a frustrating experience due to unreliable or poorly maintained chargers, a patchwork of apps and payment procedures, and large areas with no stations. A major 2022 survey of EV users tallied charging gripes and found them much more satisfied with Tesla’s Superchargers.

What’s Changing — and When?

NACS as an Open Standard

When: Already underway

Tesla began building EVs before CCS was a thing. It designed its own system and has used it — with updates — on all its North American cars after the original Roadster. The architecture allows a connector plug that’s smaller, lighter and sleeker than the big industrial-looking CCS Type 1 connector used in North America. In November 2022, Tesla announced it would make its proprietary standard open for all EVs and dubbed it the NACS. Tesla also said it was “actively working” to have the NACS become an official public standard, which requires review by international standards groups such as SAE International, but that doesn’t hold up others from using it in the meantime. The Charging Interface Initiative, a global association of electric equipment and vehicle makers, recently reiterated its commitment to CCS as a global standard but said it would support Tesla’s effort for standardization.

NACS Adopted by Other Makers

When: Mostly 2025 for the real deal sans adapter

Ford led the way in May by announcing that it will switch to the NACS charging ports for their new and redesigned EVs, and so far, they’ve been followed by Acura, Audi, BMW, Genesis, GM, Fisker, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Lexus, Lucid, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, Polestar, Porsche, Rivian, Rolls-Royce, Scout, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo. This generally will happen in 2025 and will give these automakers’ new vehicles open access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. Tesla also will make NACS adapters available in 2024 for the group’s holdover CCS-port models that will let them use more than 12,000 Superchargers.

Tesla Supercharger Access for CCS Cars

When: Mostly 2024

Early on, Tesla began building its own still-expanding network of chargers to serve its buyers and sell more cars. For the first few model years, charging was free with purchase. Tesla announced in February a deal with the Biden administration to add what it calls a “Magic Dock” adapter for CCS access to 3,500 of its Superchargers by the end of 2024. Progress has reportedly been slow so far, and users report rates are higher for CCS owners unless you buy a monthly subscription (also common for other networks). An added difficulty, depending on the CCS vehicle, is that Tesla stations have spaces and short cords designed for a charging port in the same driver-side rear location on all Tesla vehicles. Owners may find it difficult to charge vehicles with ports in other locations without blocking other spaces. Unknown so far is general availability (beyond NACS-adopter brands) of a CCS adapter for non-Teslas.

NACS on Other Charging Networks

When: By 2025

Electrify America, the second-largest public fast-charging network in the U.S. with about 3,500 chargers at more than 800 stations, has announced it will add NACS chargers at all existing and new locations by 2025, though an EA spokesperson had no further details on how many per station. Among other networks, EVgo, which has 2,500 fast chargers at more than 800 stations, says it will incorporate NACS connectors for future chargers as well as on some existing chargers. ChargePoint, an equipment and network services supplier with about 2,100 fast chargers at independently owned stations, will also offer an NACS option its owners can include with new and existing chargers.

New Huge Network

When: First U.S. stations to open summer 2024

Seeming to aim for the Supercharger network’s user experience, six major automakers — BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis — announced last month a joint venture to build their own network of 30,000 fast chargers on highways and major cities in the U.S. and Canada to nearly double the countries’ current total of about 36,000.

The announcement didn’t specify the number of locations for the chargers, but Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson said, “We plan the majority of stations with 10 to 20 high-powered chargers.” The stations will offer only fast chargers and will include CCS and NACS connectors, said Johnson, adding that the venture “will start with a focus on 350 kW but increase to 400 kW as soon as market conditions allow a mass rollout.” The announcement also emphasized that the network’s services, such as payment and navigation, will allow for “seamless integration” into the makers’ vehicle and app user experiences, so owners won’t need to deal with different apps.

Tax Money Is Helping to Spur This Activity

Helping to spur action now is a $7.5 billion bucket of federal money to improve public EV charging, with $5 billion aimed specifically at populating 75,000 miles of the nation’s major highway corridors with a fast-charging station every 50 miles. When the White House announced the program, it didn’t specify a timetable for that goal, though it alluded to its 2030 goal for 50% EV sales in the U.S. The money will be funneled through individual state plans that will leverage it with private investments. Program rules set minimum standards, including the number of chargers per station (four), payment methods, and location and price visibility, as well as technical requirements that include power level and connectors. Importantly, NACS connectors are allowed, but CCS Type 1 is required so current and future CCS vehicles will be able to continue to charge without an adapter.

CCS Vs. NACS Is a North American Issue

All this connector fuss is about fast charging in North America, as you might guess from Elon Musk’s company renaming its connector the NACS, not the World Standard (or the X Plug). The NACS connector Tesla uses here is a design that’s unsuitable for Europe’s different electrical power system. There, Tesla and other EV makers use the CCS Type 2 connector suited to Europe. European Teslas can fast-charge at any CCS Type 2 station, and the automaker has begun opening its European Supercharger network to non-Teslas, though it varies by country.

Should I Wait to Buy?

Conflicts regarding technology standards are nothing new. Consider the iPhone: What if Apple eventually switches all of its devices to a USB-C cord in the U.S. as the European Union has mandated in Europe by fall of 2024? Does the outcome years from now really matter if you need a new phone now? Same with an EV, albeit with more money at stake. The CCS and NACS fast-charging standards are on track to coexist for the foreseeable future, even if you’ll need to carry an adapter. Both look good to outlast any EV you buy now, and neither matters for the more common Level 2 AC charging.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Feb. 13, 2024, to reflect the latest list of automakers that have announced adopting NACS charging ports.

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