Rivian on Tuesday announced that it will follow Ford and General Motors in adopting the Tesla charging port standard, while recent reports suggest Hyundai and Stellantis are also considering doing the same.
“Today we signed an agreement with Tesla to adopt the North American Charging Standard,” Rivian said in a statement. statement published on Twitter, which refers to Tesla’s recently introduced brand name for the charging port, abbreviated as NACS. “This opens up the ability to charge Rivian vehicles on Tesla’s Supercharger network across the US and Canada. Access will begin as soon as Spring 2024.”
Rivian did not go into detail on how customers will be granted access to the Supercharger network. Owners of existing vehicles, which have a Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connector, will need an adapter to plug into Supercharger stations. Rivian did not discuss when it will add Tesla gates to future vehicles or whether it will ditch the CCS.
Today we signed an agreement with @Tesla to apply the North American Charging Standard. This opens up the ability to charge Rivian vehicles on Tesla’s Supercharger network across the US and Canada. Access begins shortly after spring 2024. https://t.co/Z5SBOFytgy pic.twitter.com/fWOMNtpkYs
– Rivian (@Rivian) June 20, 2023
Rivian in 2021 announced plans to build a network of at least 3,500 DC fast chargers at more than 600 locations by the end of 2023, along with more than 10,000 Tier 2 charging connectors. Mostly located away from major highways and near places for outdoor activities, it is shaping up to be a remote partner to the Supercharger network. But Tesla compatibility will give Rivian owners more charging options closer to civilization.
Hyundai will also consider interoperability with the Tesla charging port, Automotive News reported on Tuesday. But CEO Jaehoon Chang said the company will have to determine what is in the best interests of its customers, according to the report.
One concern is that Hyundai’s electric vehicles won’t be able to charge at full capacity on Tesla’s Supercharger network. Many of Hyundai’s newer electric vehicles have an 800-volt electrical construction that allows charging at higher electrical rates at certain CCS stations. Chang is said to be looking to discuss the matter with Tesla.
Hyundai Ioniq 6 2023
This follows confirmation from Stellantis last week that the automaker is looking at using the Tesla charging port for possible use in future EVs.
“We continue to evaluate the NACS standard and look forward to further discussions in the future,” the automaker said in a statement. Reuters.
After years of competing on charging standards, momentum seems to shift to Tesla later Ford last month announced that it will integrate Tesla’s charging interface starting with next-generation electric vehicles in 2025 and eventually abandon CCS altogether in the United States. Existing Ford EVs with CCS connectors will be able to charge at Supercharger stations with the adapter expected to enter production next year.
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GM announced earlier this month that it will also use the Tesla connector by 2025, while existing electric vehicles will have Supercharger access next year. The automaker also told Green Car Reports that it has no plans to build future vehicles with both Tesla and CCS connectors.
However, these automakers are moving to a standard that is available in fewer locations than CCS. According to Department of Energy data, as of June 2023, there are more charging points including CCS ports (5,235) than Tesla ports (1,803). And the federal subsidy carrot could warrant building more CCSs.
Meanwhile, the White House says charging stations using Tesla connectors will eligible for federal funds under the Biden administration’s infrastructure laws—provided they include CCS connectors. The law sets aside $7.5 billion to create a national network of 500,000 toll locations, with states having control of $5 billion of the fund.
