Electrify America, in the end, couldn’t beat ’em. So they’re joining ’em. The company, operator of America’s second-largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, will add the Tesla charging connection to its charging stations.
It won’t replace the Combined Charging System (CCS) connector currently found on Electrify America charging stations. Instead, Tesla’s plug — called the North American Charging Standard (NACS) — will appear alongside CCS plugs.
“The company will work to offer a NACS connector option at existing and future charging stations by 2025 to make charging as convenient as possible for EV owners,” Electrify America says.
That mirrors the timeline of automakers Ford, General Motors, Rivian, and Volvo, all of which have said they’ll adopt the Tesla plug by 2025. The standards-setting body SAE (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) has agreed to set standards for the Tesla connector.
Square Plugs and Round Holes
If all of this is new to you, we’ll explain.
Not every electric vehicle can plug into every charger. Different automakers use different physical plugs. Tesla has its own plug shape and builds about 60% of the EVs sold in the U.S.
Other automakers use a different plug, the CCS unit, which is larger and heavier.
Tesla also operates its own nationwide charging network. It is the largest in the nation and has proven far more reliable than other networks. Until recently, it was open only to Tesla owners.
But Tesla recently opened it for use by owners of some other brands’ cars. One by one, automakers have agreed to add the Tesla plug to their vehicles. They’re not all on board yet; many drivers already own EVs equipped with the CCS plug. So companies like Electrify America will likely offer both plugs for many years.
But, day by day, Tesla’s plug is taking over more of the auto industry.
Polestar, an EV maker recently spun off from Volvo, is the latest. Reuters reports that Volkswagen “is in talks with Tesla” about also adding the plug to its EVs.
