A change to Tesla NACS Connector in future electric vehicles, and compatibility with the Tesla Supercharger even earlier, has now been announced by enough automakers to claim it as the majority charging standard for electric vehicles in North America in the future. near future. And while the automaker’s press releases and statements largely dictate the number of charging points the Tesla network adds, there’s an undertone to what’s arguably all that much more important: speed: trust.
That reliability, as the federal government is starting to monitor, are not guaranteed and it will be a litmus test of what Tesla built and whether it can produce translations. So far Tesla Supercharge is really a closed system. None of the other automakers’ EVs yet have the ability to charge on the Tesla network — or the ability to officially use Tesla’s NACS connector, natively or otherwise — it’s a gamble.
Tesla turbocharger
The gamble is almost certainly fueled by much higher reliability ratings, which continue to beat EVs and networks using CCS connectors. Automotive survey giant JD Power has ranked Supercharger network highest in terms of consumer satisfactionand according to the latest information of Power E-Vision Intelligence Report, released on Friday, when looking at data for the first quarter of 2023, a much lower percentage of Tesla drivers find themselves unable to charge at a Supercharger stop. Only 3.9% of respondents said they were “unable to charge” on the Tesla Supercharger network, compared with 21.6% on all other networks, excluding the Tesla Destination charger.
That directly leads to a much higher level of satisfaction with public charging networks, as part of the electric vehicle ownership experience, with Tesla owners at 734 on Power’s 1,000 scale, compared with 558 for all. other manufacturers as well.
“When it comes to reliability, there is no supplier that can match Tesla,” Power sums up.
JD Power public charging satisfaction by brand
Whether it’s the connector itself, as some have argued, or it’s the hardware, the standard, or the electric vehicle itself, that’s critically important to electric vehicle adoption, at a time when GM, Ford and many other older automakers are working towards ramping up their EV production. According to Power, the lack of public charging infrastructure was the top consumer barrier to electric vehicle adoption over the past year. Followed by worries about range, charging time, and lack of charging at home or work.
Tesla added 1,292 Supercharger ports in the first quarter of the year, which amounts to nearly 19,500 ports nationwide at the time. According to the US Department of Energy, Tesla currently offers 2,025 station locations and 21,713 ports. Supercharger network can lagging in positions compared to CCS—will continue to be supported, via adapters—but it’s reliable and fast, and that makes a difference for owners.
Many important questions remain. For instance, will the move to the Tesla standard, when operated by other charging network operators, lead to a significant increase in reliability compared to CCS?
GM EVs Get Tesla Supercharger Access By 2024
That’s almost certainly a consideration for the automakers that are adopting the Tesla NACS connector so far. Including Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, and Polestar — all of which have announced compatibility (via adapter) with the Tesla fast-charging format starting in 2024, which will suddenly make over 70% New EV market compatible with NACS. With Hyundai, Stellantisand the Volkswagen Group of Brands are currently evaluating the concept and SAE makes it a real standard For interoperability and manufacturability, it’s hard to imagine electric vehicles with CCS gates taking up only a fraction of the market.
Another related question is whether satisfaction in Tesla’s Supercharger network will remain high when other brands’ electric vehicle drivers visit it. Furthermore, will scaling the Supercharger network be a net benefit or a negative for Tesla owners?
Ford Mustang Mach-E at Tesla Supercharger station
“It is unclear whether offering Tesla’s network to other brands will negatively or positively affect Tesla considerations,” Power said. While it can lead to longer queues at Supercharger stations on busy weekends, it can also have the exact opposite effect, resulting in the brand’s superior build of V4 hardware. required trademarks for GM products such as GMC Hummer EV And Chevy Silverado EVas Tesla e-car.
