SAE International, a engineering organization, has announced its intention to establish the official standardization of the North American Charging Standard (NACS). This move aims to diminish reliance on Tesla by making the connector more widely accessible.
Last November, Tesla made a significant announcement by opening up its proprietary connector, designating it as the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for adoption across the continent. Encouragingly, major automakers including GM, Ford, Rivian, and Volvo have now declared their intentions to embrace this connector.
However, the CharIN association, responsible for the Combined Charging System (CCS), expressed discontentment with the situation, primarily due to NACS not possessing the same official standard status as CCS.
See also: CharIN Task Force on NACS Standardization Encompasses 51 Key Industry Players
In response to this concern, SAE International has revealed plans to standardize the NACS connector. By doing so, any manufacturer or supplier will gain the ability to utilize, manufacture, or implement the NACS connector in electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations throughout North America. This decision has been welcomed by the automotive industry, especially considering recent announcements from Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Rivian, and several EV charging companies regarding their intentions to adopt the NACS connector through adaptors or future product offerings.
Commenting on this milestone, Frank Menchaca, President of Sustainable Mobility Solutions, an innovation branch of SAE’s parent company, Fullsight, emphasized the positive outcomes of standardizing the NACS connector. He stated that this measure would provide manufacturers and suppliers with certainty, expanded options, reliability, convenience, and, most importantly, enhance charging accessibility for consumers.
While the commitments made by the aforementioned automakers have undoubtedly propelled NACS forward, the standardization efforts by SAE will likely address the concerns of those who have been hesitant to adopt it, as it diminishes reliance on Tesla.
See also: Tesla opens its EV charge connector design to to charging network operators and other automakers
SAE aims to expedite the development of the NACS connector standard. This initiative forms part of a broader strategy to fortify the North American EV charging infrastructure. Furthermore, SAE, in collaboration with National Labs, is actively contributing to the reliability design for the national ChargeX consortium. Additionally, SAE-ITC’s Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) will ensure cyber-secure charging.
By establishing an official standard for the NACS connector, SAE International is playing a crucial role in enhancing interoperability and supporting the growth of electric mobility across North America. This development represents a significant step towards a more unified and accessible charging network, benefitting both manufacturers and consumers alike.
