Electrified Transportation is Charging Forward
A significant obstacle to overcome to meet nationwide electrified transportation goals is a fully fleshed-out national electrical charging network. Ford CEO Jim Farley embarked on a road trip in their flagship EV, the Ford Lightning. Found that the biggest issue was the lack of quality charging stations for non-Tesla EVs.
“Charging has been pretty challenging. It was a really good reality check of the challenges our customers go through and the importance of fast charging.” Said Farley.
The Barrier to EV Proliferation
In light of state and federal government goals for EVs to take over new car sales, the order of operations for widespread EV ownership needs more preparation. As the roads fill with EVs to meet these goals, we risk bottlenecking our electrified transportation future by insufficient EV charging infrastructure. With higher quality and more abundant charging stations nationwide, we can rest assured that our electrified cars will seamlessly continue our beloved commuting, road-tripping, and leisurely driving activities.
Understanding our current EV and Charging Market
Let’s look at the overall EV market share and charging network share in the US. In January 2023, registration data for light vehicles saw 7.1% or 87,708 be all-electric; over half were Tesla vehicles at 48,917. In December 2021, DC Fast Charger station availability placed Tesla with the most DC Fast Charging ports (58% of the total) at 12,580, and the runner-up Electrify America only had 3,112. So, if Ford CEO Farley had been driving a Tesla, there was a greater chance of charging more conveniently through a DC Fast Charger instead of waiting 40 minutes for a 40% charge.
NACS vs. CCS Connectors
Tesla created the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector to provide a charging experience that’s efficient, compact, and fast. The connector is lighter and smaller than the Combo Charging System (CCS), and only one app is needed to access every NACS charger. The CCS has a charging power of up to 350 kilowatts compared to the 250 kilowatts of Tesla’s NACS. Although more car manufacturers use CCS and more charging station companies provide CCS, they are not singular in their approach. You must download a specific app for each charging station provider and undergo a timely and laborious transaction verification process.
Charging Stations in Numbers
As of July 2023, the US Department of Energy (DOE) reports that Tesla has 6,228 NACS charging stations with 30,291 EV charging ports in the US. For CCS, the DOE reveals 5,280 charging stations and 10,673 EVSE ports in the US, a significant gap to fill as the car market floods with EVs for both NACS and CCS connectors.
Manufacturers Switching to Tesla's Charging Network
If EV car manufacturers want to ensure their customers have an excellent charging experience beyond the house, they must join the NACS system. These manufacturers promised to join and provide adapters for CCS to NACS in the near future.
Ford and GM
The first to announce they were partnering with Tesla with Ford EVs rolling out with the NACS connector in 2025. Following Ford’s announcement, GM will also have EVs in 2025 with the NACS. They will offer NACS adapters in the Spring of 2024.
Mercedez-Benz, Volvo, Polestar, and Nissan
All three will convert their EVs to NACS ports by 2025. Nissan will offer adapters in 2024 for existing EVs. Polestar, Volvo’s sister company, will follow suit and make their fleet NACS-ready by 2025.
Rivian
Rivian will begin offering cars with NACS ports by 2025, but as soon as 2024, with an adapter, their vehicles can access the Tesla Supercharging network.
Charging Companies Jumping in on the Switch
ChargePoint
As one of the first to offer CCS charging stations for homes and public spaces, they announced that by the end of 2023 will be providing NACS charging stations. However, no precise timeline is available for when most of the existing CCS stations will be NACS compatible.
Electrify America
Outside of Tesla, Electrify America has the largest charging network in the US. It will offer NACS connectors across its 850 stations by 2025.
Ensuring A Full Charge From Home
As an EV owner, you’ll wake up and prepare for a road trip or your daily commute to work. The distances you embark on may differ, but how you started is the same, fully charged and ready to go. Which is only possible if you own and install a charging station at home. Whether you want to own a Tesla or any other EVs available today, you must ensure you can charge your car entirely from home. We love helping owners achieve greater control over their electricity use, and charging your EV from home is safe, efficient, and just plain smart. Get your free estimate today for an EV charging station by clicking below.
