North American Charging Standard

The North American Charging Standard (NACS), currently being standardized as SAE J3400 and also known as the Tesla charging standard, is an electric vehicle (EV) charging connector system developed by Tesla, Inc. It has been used on all North American market Tesla vehicles since 2012 and was opened for use to other manufacturers in 2022. BMW Group, Fisker, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, Toyota, and Volvo Cars have announced that starting from 2025, their electric vehicles in North America will be equipped with the NACS charge port.

North American Charging Standard
(SAE J3400)
NACS AC/DC connector (center), shown between SAE J1772 (left) and Type 2 (right) AC connectors. Non-NACS DC connectors are larger.
Type Electric vehicle charging
Production history
Designer Tesla, Inc.
Designed 2012
Electrical
Max. voltage
  • 277 V AC
  • 500 or 1,000 V DC
Max. current In excess of 500 A
Pinout
Pinouts for NACS, looking at end of plug (attached to EVSE cord)
DC+/L1 DC+ / Line 1 Positive current (DC),
Line 1 (split phase AC),
Line (single phase AC)
DC-/L2 DC- / Line 2 Negative current (DC),
Line 2 (split phase AC),
Neutral (single phase AC)
G Ground full-current protective grounding system
CP Control pilot charging state/current signaling
PP Proximity pilot vehicle connector status signaling
References:[1][2]

Background

After initial testing allowing non-Tesla EVs to use Tesla Supercharger stations in Europe in December 2019,[3] Tesla began to test a proprietary dual-connector "Magic Dock" connector at select North American Supercharger locations in March 2023.[4] Magic Dock allows for an EV to charge with either an NACS or Combined Charging Standard (CCS) version 1 connector, which would provide the technical capability for almost all battery electric vehicles the chance to charge.[5] While most of Tesla's North American Supercharger locations currently provide exclusively NACS connectors—only 10 locations supported the CCS+NACS Magic Dock as of June 2023—it is expected that Tesla will outfit many North American Supercharger stations with both connector standards after 2023 as a temporary solution, in part to gain access to several billion dollars of infrastructure build-out subsidies available from the US Federal government for charging stations that include the CCS1 connectors during the mid-2020s.[5][6]

History

Tesla developed a proprietary charging connector for the Tesla Model S in 2012, and used it on all of their subsequent EVs: the Model X, Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck. The Tesla Semi, however, uses a different and higher-power connector to quickly charge its larger battery. As part of its business strategy, Tesla also built the Supercharger network across the United States and later built substantial charging networks in a number of other countries where Tesla sold their cars.[7]

In November 2022, Tesla renamed its previously proprietary charging connector, sometimes informally called the Tesla charging standard,[8][9] to "North American Charging Standard" (NACS) and opened the standard to make the specifications available to other EV manufacturers. Tesla argued that NACS should become the connector of choice because it is more compact, Tesla vehicles outnumber CCS-equipped vehicles by a margin of two-to-one, and Tesla's Supercharging network has 60% more NACS posts than all the CCS-equipped networks combined.[10][11][12][13]

On June 27, 2023, SAE International announced that they would standardize the connector as SAE J3400.[14] In August 2023, Tesla issued a license to Volex to build NACS connectors.[15]

Description

The NACS standard can support both AC charging and DC fast-charging.

Technical specifications

The NACS connector with the current version 3 Tesla Supercharger can deliver up to 250 kW of power (500 amperes at up to 500 volts).

When AC power is used, the NACS system can deliver up to 80 amperes at 277 volts (a voltage derived from a three-phase commercial power supply at 480 volts).[2] However, in the most common configuration NACS provides up to 48 amperes of current at 240 volts (the typical residential voltage of the North American split-phase electric power system), i.e. 11.5 kW.[16]

Operation

The NACS connector has a single button located on the top center of the handle. When the button is depressed, a UHF signal is emitted. When the connector is locked in place, the signal commands the vehicle to retract the latch holding the connector in place. When the connector is not locked in place, the signal commands the nearby vehicle to open the door covering the inlet.[1][16]

Pin layout

The NACS uses a five-pin layout—the two primary pins are used for both AC charging and DC fast charging:

  1. The DC+/L1 pin provides either the positive side of the DC voltage link or when using AC it provides either Line 1 in a split-phase connection or the sole Line in a single-phase connection.
  2. The DC-/L2 pin provides both the negative side of the DC voltage link or when using AC it can serve as either Line 2 in a split-phase connection or the neutral in a single-phase connection.
  3. The G, or Ground, pin provides a connection between the earth and the vehicle chassis. The ground pin is also used as a reference point for the CP and PP signals and to measure the isolation of the electrical systems.[1]
  4. The CP, or Control Pilot, pin is used as a digital communication path between the charging system and vehicle. The control pilot uses pulse width modulation to communicate charging state and current in accordance with IEC 61851. Power Line Communication is superimposed onto the control pilot line while DC charging.
  5. The PP, or Proximity Pilot, pin carries a low-voltage signal and is used to determine the status of the vehicle connector. When the button on the plug is depressed to unlock the connector, a switch on the Proximity Pilot circuit is opened, stopping the flow of electricity.

Pin usage is the same as the SAE J1772 connector when used for AC charging.

Adoption

Automakers

In November 2022, Aptera, which had not created a production vehicle yet, announced that it would adopt NACS. The company had shown the Tesla connector in promotional photographs of their prototypes.[17]

In May 2023, the Ford Motor Company became the first large automaker to announce that it would use NACS with their electric vehicles.[18] Starting in 2025, new Ford electric vehicles will have native NACS charge ports and prior electric Ford models will be able to connect to NACS chargers by use of a NACS to CCS1 adapter.

From June through October 2023, automakers BMW Group, Fisker, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, Toyota and Volvo Cars, all announced that they would equip their electric vehicles sold in the North American market with NACS charge ports from the factory starting in 2025, with adapters available for existing vehicles.[19]

Charging networks

Prior to opening the NACS standard in late 2022, several electric vehicle charging network operators had added a few Tesla charging connector adapters to legacy CHAdeMO-standard charging stations. These included the ONroute rest stop network in Ontario, Canada, where a Tesla adaptor was permanently attached to a CHAdeMO cord,[20] and REVEL opened a charging station in Brooklyn for a while after they were denied a license to operate a Tesla ride-hailing fleet in New York City.[21] Ivy Charge in Ontario, Canada, announced plans to include CCS1-to-Tesla adaptors for some of their stations.[22] Also EVgo, who added optional Tesla adaptors to CHAdeMO cords.[23][24] In June 2023, EVgo announced it will add NACS connector support to more of its chargers.[25]

In June 2023 several other EV charging station providers also announced plans to add NACS connector support to their chargers. These include FLO, a Quebec-based EV charging station company with over 90,000 chargers.[25] EV fast-charger company FreeWire Technologies also announced plans to equip its battery-integrated Boost Chargers with NACS plugs by mid-2024.[26][27] BC Hydro, Blink Charging, ChargePoint, and Electrify America have also announced plans to add NACS connectors to their charging networks.[26][28] Hotel chain Hilton Worldwide announced an agreement with Tesla to install chargers with 20,000 NACS connectors across 2,000 of its properties in North America by 2025.[29]

Equipment manufacturers

Several equipment manufacturers have announced that they plan to add NACS connectors to their products. As of June 2023 the list includes ABB, BTC Power, Tritium and Wallbox.[30][31]

Competing standards
NACS vs. CCS1 connector
NACS
CCS1
Displayed approximately to scale

Other charging standards for high-power DC charging of electric vehicles include:

  • Combined Charging System Type 1 (CCS1): Widely used for DC fast-charging in North America and South Korea at non-Tesla charging stations.[25] Tesla offers a CCS1 to NACS adapter for purchase.[32][10] Some Superchargers offer a NACS to CCS1 adapter kept in a “magic dock” on the pylon.
  • Combined Charging System Type 2 (CCS2): Legally mandated DC fast-charging standard for Europe and Oceania.[25] Tesla vehicles sold in those countries, after May 2019, and newer Tesla Superchargers use CCS2. Older Tesla vehicles can be retrofitted to use CCS2 with an adapter.[33][34][10]
  • CHAdeMO: Widely used for DC fast-charging in Japan and previously equipped on some vehicles in North America and Europe. Tesla vehicles sold in Japan are equipped with NACS.[35] Tesla offers a CHAdeMO to NACS adapter for purchase.[10]
  • GB/T: Legally mandated DC fast-charging standard in China. Tesla vehicles sold in China use GB/T.[36]

As of November 2021, Tesla's Supercharger network was the largest DC fast-charging network in the US, with the next-largest operator providing only ten percent as many fast-charging stations.[7] However, other BEV competitors in the USA were previously unable to take advantage of the Supercharger network, before the release of "Magic Dock". Tesla cars, on the other hand, came bundled with a SAE J1772 adapter – which allowed Tesla owners to take advantage of the large number of slower Level 2 AC charging stations, that are fitted with J1772 plugs.[6]

A review of the images of the competing charging standards shows that the NACS connector is by far the most compact.

Criticism

Tesla's decision to name its connector the "North American Charging Standard" was initially criticized by a competing charging standards body in late 2022 because, at the time of its announcement, it had not gone through a process to be published or recognized by a standards development organization. The process to be published or recognized is collaborative and allows all interested parties to contribute their ideas.[37] The Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN), the association responsible for the competing Combined Charging System (CCS), criticized Tesla's process of developing NACS, but subsequently recognized that while the connector does not use the CCS standard, it does use the same standard communications protocols created for CCS.[38]

In June 2023, SAE International announced that it will begin the process to formally standardize the NACS.[39] On July 11, 2023 SAE International created the task force to handle further development of the standard and to publish it under the SAE J3400 moniker.[40]

  • A public NACS AC charging station
    A public NACS AC charging station
  • A vehicle equipped with a NACS charging inlet
    A vehicle equipped with a NACS charging inlet
  • NACS charging cable
    NACS charging cable
  • A newly installed NACS AC home charger
    A newly installed NACS AC home charger

References
  1. "North American Charging Standard Technical Specification" (PDF). Tesla, Inc. November 3, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  2. "Wall Connector Gen2 80A" (PDF). Tesla, Inc. April 21, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  3. Lambert, Fred (December 20, 2019). "Tesla opens first Supercharger V3 in Europe". Electrek.
  4. "Here's How Tesla's Magic Dock Rollout Is Going". InsideEVs. March 15, 2023. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  5. Kane, Mark (June 10, 2023). "US: CCS-Compatible Tesla Superchargers To Be Eligible For Public Funds". InsideEVs. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  6. Shakir, Umar (June 9, 2023). "Tesla is about to pull the plug on its main EV charging rival". The Verge. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  7. Bhargava, Hemant; Boehm, Jonas; Parker, Geoffrey G. (January 27, 2021). "How Tesla's Charging Stations Left Other Manufacturers in the Dust". Harvard Business Review. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  8. Rosevear, John (June 29, 2023). "Polestar is the latest EV maker to announce a move to Tesla's North American charging standard". CNBC. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  9. Dumas, Breck (July 7, 2023). "Mercedes-Benz to adopt Tesla charging standard for EVs, access Supercharger network". FOXBusiness. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  10. Shakir, Umar (November 11, 2022). "Tesla opens up its charging connector in a bid to become the North American standard". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  11. Lambert, Fred (November 11, 2022). "Tesla opens its EV charge connector in the hope of making it the new standard". Electrek. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  12. "Tesla Aims To Fix American EV Charging Infrastructure With The North American Charging Standard". MSN. November 11, 2022. Archived from the original on December 20, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  13. "Opening the North American Charging Standard" (Press release). US: Tesla. November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  14. "SAE International Announces Standard for NACS Connector, Charging PKI and Infrastructure Reliability". SAE International (Press release). June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  15. Lambert, Fred (August 10, 2023). "Tesla issues license to Volex to build NACS connector". Electrek. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  16. "North American 48A AC Charging Connector Datasheet" (PDF). Tesla, Inc. August 3, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  17. Lambert, Fred (November 23, 2022). "Aptera says it will use Tesla's charge connector in its solar electric car". Electrek. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  18. "Ford EVs will get access to Tesla's Supercharger network in 2024". Ars Technica. May 25, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  19. John, Alexa St. "Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, and more — here's the full list of car companies adopting Tesla's charging technology". Business Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  20. John, Darryn (February 11, 2022). "Here's how Tesla owners will be able to use ONroute's new CHAdeMO EV chargers". Drive Tesla Canada.
  21. John, Darryn (June 29, 2021). "Revel opens EV charging Superhub in Brooklyn after being blocked to operate in New York City". Drive Tesla Canada.
  22. John, Darryn (December 3, 2021). "ONroute's new Ivy EV chargers will feature built-in Tesla adapters". Drive Tesla Canada.
  23. Andrew J. Hawkins (December 19, 2019). "Tesla vehicles can soon be charged at EVgo charging stations in the US / The first connectors will be distributed at EVgo's charging stations in San Francisco". The Verge.
  24. Herron, David (December 20, 2019). "eVgo offers CHAdeMO fast charging to Tesla owners". The Long Tail Pipe. Long Tail Pipe. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  25. Lambert, Fred (June 9, 2023). "Tesla's NACS enjoys domino effect as EV charging companies adopt the standard". Electrek. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  26. Doll, Scooter (May 30, 2023). "Freewire CEO commends Ford and Tesla, vows to add NACS connectors to its chargers". Electrek. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023. CEO Arcady Sosinov in a conversation with Electrek: …we support Tesla in making steps towards opening their technology and network… FreeWire plans to make NACS connectors available on Boost Chargers by mid 2024…
  27. Roy, Abhirup (June 20, 2023). "Exclusive: EV maker Rivian to adopt Tesla's charging standard". Reuters. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  28. Bonk, Lawrence (June 29, 2023). "Electrify America's charging network will support Tesla's NACS connector by 2025". Yahoo News. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  29. Laing, Keith (September 7, 2023). "Tesla to Supply Hilton Hotels With 20,000 EV Chargers by 2025". Bloomberg News. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  30. Doll, Scooter (June 19, 2023). "Everything you need to know about the North American Charging Standard (NACS)". Electrek. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  31. Roy, Abhirup (June 20, 2023). "Exclusive: Tesla standard: BTC Power joins move to add to EV chargers". Reuters. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  32. Kane, Mark (September 21, 2022). "US: Tesla CCS Combo 1 Adapter Is Finally Available". InsideEVs. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  33. Lambert, Fred. "Tesla confirms Model 3 is getting a CCS plug in Europe, adapter coming for Model S and Model X". Electrek. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  34. "Supercharger Support". Tesla, Inc. April 8, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  35. Gaton, Bryce (December 21, 2022). "Tesla launches new EV charging battle, but the Plug War is already over". The Driven. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  36. Liu, Gene (October 16, 2017). "Tesla updates Model S/X charge port to support China's charging standard". TESLARATI. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  37. "CharIN Response to Ford Announcement to use the NACS Proprietary Network". CharIN (Press release). June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  38. "CharIN Stands Behind CCS and MCS, but also supports the standardization of Tesla NACS – CharIN". CharIN (Press release). June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  39. Shakir, Umar (June 27, 2023). "The SAE is standardizing Tesla's EV charging plug as it racks up more wins". The Verge. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  40. "SAE J3400: NACS Electric Vehicle Coupler". SAE International. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
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