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Tesla’s Charging Standard is Gaining Traction with Ford and GM

Seven months ago, when Tesla announced it would share its EV charging connector design to encourage automakers to adopt the technology and help make it the new standard in North America, few, if any, predicted competitors would bite.

Recently, both Ford and General Motors have agreed to integrate Tesla charging tech in their next-gen vehicles by 2025. This move marks a major shift for the EV industry and could potentially splinter the market.

According to Arcady Sosinov, founder and CEO of fast-charging startup FreeWire Technologies, These announcements with Ford and GM solidify that there will continue to be a standards war for a decade. NACS (Tesla’s standard) is a better experience, and more OEMs, we believe, will converge on it.

The Two Charging Standards

Most electric vehicles in the U.S. use the Combined Charging System (CCS) except for Tesla. CCS is an internationally recognized charging standard developed by a consortium of automotive manufacturers, including Ford, Volkswagen, and Daimler. In contrast, Tesla developed a charging ecosystem called the North American Charging Standard (NACS) that includes the charging port and connector. Tesla also built out a network of thousands of fast chargers called Superchargers, which are only accessible to vehicles with the NACS standard.

Tesla’s charging system has helped the automaker become the No. 1 seller of EVs due to its high-quality charging experience from the size and weight of the charging cables to the quality of the Supercharging stations to the ease of payment. However, the rest of the industry has mostly adhered to the CCS standard.

Ford and GM’s Transition to Tesla Charging Tech

Ford and GM’s integration of Tesla charging tech in their next-gen vehicles is due to an apparent desire to move away from the reliance on existing charging networks like Electrify Americas and EVgos and have a better charging experience for their customers. These partnerships give Tesla guaranteed utilization on its infrastructure, but it poses its own challenges. Tesla Superchargers are already crowded with Teslas along corridors in California and parts of the East Coast.

Despite the challenges, opening Tesla Superchargers to Ford, GM, and possibly other automakers could help Tesla fund the deployment of even more infrastructure, thus fracturing the industry further.

The Future of the EV Charging Industry

The EV charging industry is still a nascent one, and these developments with Tesla, Ford, and GM show that a standardized protocol may be out of reach in the near future. Instead, we might have to live with a two-standard system in the United States.

FAQs

What is the Tesla Charging System?

The Tesla charging system, also known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS), includes the charging port and connector. It’s different from the Combined Charging System (CCS) used by most other automakers.

What is the Combined Charging System (CCS)?

The Combined Charging System (CCS) is an internationally recognized charging standard developed by a consortium of automotive manufacturers, including Ford, Volkswagen, and Daimler. Most electric vehicles in the U.S. use this standard.

Why did Ford and GM agree to integrate Tesla charging tech?

Ford and GM agreed to integrate Tesla charging tech in their next-gen vehicles to have a better charging experience for their customers and move away from reliance on existing charging networks like Electrify Americas and EVgos. This move marks a significant shift for the EV industry and could splinter the market.

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