The automotive industry is realizing the benefits of globally uniform standards, such as lower costs. However, when it comes to charging plugs, different regions have their preferences. In Asia, CHAdeMO is commonly used, while Europe relies on CCS. In North America, there are signs that major companies are joining Tesla’s “North American Charging Standard” (NACS). Rivian, Ford, General Motors, Polestar, and Volkswagen are all planning to switch to NACS, with Hyundai considering it as well. This shift will provide customers with access to a dense charging infrastructure and ensure compatibility with existing CCS charging stations. NACS is expected to become the dominant standard in North America, as investments in the charging infrastructure are primarily in this direction. Volkswagen’s transition to NACS is more complex, as it involves converting not only the cars but also the existing charging network under Electrify America. Volkswagen has yet to comment on this, but a gradual switch to NACS seems likely to avoid maintaining two systems in the long term. Electrify America currently has 850 charging stations with around 4,000 charging points, putting it behind Tesla’s supercharger network, which has around 14,000 charging points in the US alone.
