Electrify America Is Adding Tesla's NACS Connectors To Its EV Chargers
In another step towards the U.S. having a national standard for its network of EV charging stations, Electrify America is adding Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NASC) connector to its chargers. This will greatly increase the availability of NASC ports around the country, as Electrify America operates more than 850 EV charging stations across 46 states and the District of Columbia. The company, which, along with Electrify Canada, is owned by Volkswagen, has the largest open DC fast charging network in the United States.
Currently, Electrify America and Electrify Canada's stations feature chargers at 150 and 350 kilowatts, providing EV drivers with some of the fastest charging speeds available. Adopting NASC is part of Electrify America's larger $2 billion investment in building zero emission vehicle infrastructure as the automotive industry continues to ramp up its transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric.
"Since our founding, we have focused on building an inclusive and open hyper-fast charging network to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles," said Robert Barrosa, president and CEO of Electrify America, in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to support industry-wide standards that increase vehicle interoperability and streamline public charging." Electrify America plans to include NASC connectors in its charging stations by 2025, including additional ones it has yet to build.
NASC is quickly becoming the national EV standard
Many of Electrify America's charging stations support the NASC's biggest rival, the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard. For now, the new NASC plugs won't be replacing the CCS-1 connectors, as Electrify America will continue carrying the charger in addition to NASC. But since Tesla opened its proprietary design to the public last fall, its NASC plug has steadily moved toward becoming the national EV charging standard. Earlier this week, it was chosen to be standardized over CCS and others by SAE International. Ford and GM have already committed to using NASC as well, and it will more likely than not be found on all American-made EVs in the future. Volvo also announced this week it will be supporting the standard, making it the first European automaker to do so, and likely not the last.
By having a standard plug in most, if not all, charging stations across the country, both the government and the automotive industry can more easily facilitate a national transition to electric vehicle use. Like owners of traditional gas-powered cars, EV drivers will feel much more secure knowing their vehicles can be powered anywhere in the country, without the risk of being stranded by a dead battery.
With its vast network of charging stations, Electrify America plays a prominent role in creating a national EV infrastructure that can support electric cars becoming more dominant on the road. The company is currently participating in the National Charging Experience Consortium (ChargeX) and is working with both SAE International and the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) to help standardize the industry. The inclusion of NASC plugs in its stations is a huge step toward that goal and will help the EV industry continue to grow.