General Motors to Integrate North American Charging Standard into EVs by 2025

In a recent announcement, General Motors (GM) has revealed that it will be integrating the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its electric vehicles (EVs) starting in 2025. This move will make GM the latest automaker to adopt Tesla’s proprietary plug design, which has been dubbed the “North American Charging Standard.” The decision to standardize EV charging ports is a significant development as it will mean that America’s three biggest sellers of electric vehicles will all be using the same power port.

Tesla’s Supercharger network is widely considered to be the most reliable and efficient charging network for EVs. While many third-party chargers are broken, refusing payment, or thoughtlessly placed behind the second dumpster at Pizza Hut, Tesla’s Supercharger network is clean, largely seamless, and – most importantly – reliable. However, the lack of standardization in the EV charging industry has been a significant challenge for EV owners.

The prevailing wisdom is that while there was plenty of incentive for third-party charging companies to get their stations up and running, there has been precisely zero motivation to keep them working. After all, there doesn’t seem to be a ton of profit (yet) in selling electricity through CCS plugs, so why should companies dump untold billions into their maintenance – especially once they’ve set up shop and won the game in terms of land grab (which is the real fight, if you’re wondering).

Standardization isn’t bad when it comes to this type of stuff, especially if it erases the frustration of rocking up to a Level 3 fast charger and finding it devoid of the plug you need. However, left unclear is if future GM (and Ford) EVs will ditch the CCS port in favor of NACS or simply add the latter to its cars.

The NACS connector design has a relatively tiny footprint, but there isn’t a ton of real estate behind the doors of most EV charging ports. Additionally, designing a second charging flap door on another part of the car to house a NACS port would be very expensive. The specter of adapters and such is also being bandied about.

The move towards standardization in EV charging ports is a significant development that will benefit EV owners. While Tesla’s Supercharger network is currently the most reliable and efficient charging network for EVs, the lack of standardization in the EV charging industry has been a significant challenge for EV owners. By adopting Tesla’s proprietary plug design, GM is taking a step towards standardization that will make it easier for EV owners to access charging stations.

In conclusion, the move towards standardization in EV charging ports is a significant development that will benefit EV owners. While Tesla’s Supercharger network is currently the most reliable and efficient charging network for EVs, the lack of standardization in the EV charging industry has been a significant challenge for EV owners. By adopting Tesla’s proprietary plug design, GM is taking a step towards standardization that will make it easier for EV owners to access charging stations.