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Electric vehicle charging has been confusing and frustrating for early adopters of EVs. One aspect of this has been the fact that there are no less than five ways in which to plug in an EV to gain charge. These include DC Fast charging or Level 2 charging via Tesla’s NACS standard, The J1772 standard for Level 2, CCS for DCFC, CHAdeMO, and of course charging by plugging into a “Level 1” outlet. The big news this month is that Ford and GM have now joined forces with Tesla to adopt what most EV owners consider to be the logical best charger protocol.
This leaves existing owners of EVs not built by Tesla with home chargers in a tough spot. Sure, the equipment is going to be workable with future new EV models, but how? With an adapter? With some sort of upgrade? Or maybe these owners will end up buying an all-new home charger? Sadly, the connector we all have in our homes won't plug directly into a NACS-equipped Tesla or future GM or Ford EV. We reached out to three top EV charger manufacturers and asked them what they have planned to support existing and future customers. Here is what's learned.
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Emporia’s Plan
Emporia’s NACS charger is currently in development, and the company plans a more formal announcement soon. Like most EV charger manufacturers, Emporia can already support vehicles equipped with the NACS standard via Tesla's J1772 adapter.
Emporia says that its coming NACS chargers will be offered at the highest quality and lowest cost to ensure accessibility to any consumers interested in purchasing. They will fit right in with Emporia’s award-winning lineup of smart plugs, energy monitors, and whole-home batteries that are designed to offer consumers detailed insights into their usage to save money.
ChargePoint’s Plan
ChargePoint released a statement this week affirming its commitment to delivering the best charging experience possible to all drivers of all makes and models of electric vehicles. Of all the EV charging companies about to make the switch to NACS, ChargePoint may be among those best prepared.
ChargePoint’s Home Flex (AC), along with its chargers used for public chargers, fleet use, and businesses, the Express 250 (DC), Express Plus (DC), CPF50 (AC) CP6000 (AC), all offer modular connectors for both customer preference and serviceability. ChargePoint has announced that the company will soon be offering a NACS connector option for all of these products, with cost-effective field upgrades available for chargers that are already in service. Thus, ChargePoint’s existing customers can be confident their investment is protected.
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Lectron’s Plan
Of the many great charger companies Torque News has covered, Lectron seems to be the company trying hardest to offer “Telsa adapters.” In addition, Lectron already has a long list of products that can work with the NACS “Tesla” connector. We are confident that Lectron will be among the many companies that find the pivot to NACS nearly seamless.
If you already own a home charger, we suggest that you bookmark the new page here at Torque News for updates on adapters that will allow you to charge using both the J1772 socket-equipped cars you already own, and also your future NACS-equipped vehicle using an adapter or other novel solution. Whatever you do, don’t give up on the home charger you already own. The chances are your future NACS-equipped Ford, GM, or Tesla will charge just fine with it after an adapter or conversion kit is in place.
John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can follow John on Twitter, and TikTok @ToknCars, and view his credentials at Linkedin
Image of Emporia home charger by John Goreham
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