Texas To Require Tesla NACS Connector At EV Charging Stations

August 28, 2023 3:50 pm

The state of Texas has recently approved a measure requiring all future EV stations to include the North American Charging Standard or NACS connectors developed by Tesla along with the Combined Charging System or CCS connectors decreed by federal lawmakers.

According to a report by Reuters, charging providers resisted the Tesla NACS requirements on the grounds it could cause certification and supply chain problems.

Following two postponements of the vote, the Texas Transportation Commission unanimously voted for the mandated inclusion of the NACS connectors. Use of the plugs has spread beyond the connector’s originator, Tesla, to GM and Ford as well.

Transportation official Humberto Gonzalez said the “two-connector approach being proposed will help assure coverage of a minimum of 97 percent” of the Lone Star State’s approximate 168,000 EVs. Texas has received the highest amount of federal funding to electrify its highways out of all the states at $5 billion.

While the federal government mandates CCS connectors, it allows individual states to add their own requirements if desired. The NACS connector used by Tesla is currently also required for EV charging stations built in Kentucky, while Washington state and Florida are openly mulling similar measures.

On the flipside, Tesla has moved to include CCS connectors at its charging stations to ensure its eligibility for federal subsidies. Additionally, while Tesla originated the NACS connector, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is working on its standardization.

The SAE is also investigating to increase the reliability and performance of NACS as part of the standardization process. The connectors are already smaller and more convenient than their CSS counterparts. The National Laboratories of the U.S. are operating jointly with the SAE to make the desired improvements to the Tesla charging system.

NACS (black) comparted to CCS (gray) connectors

Back in early June, GM announced it had reached an agreement with Tesla that would enable drivers of GM EVs to recharge at Tesla Supercharger network locations by sometime in 2024. This will initially involve use of an adapter to complete the connection with one of the 12,000 Superchargers currently operational across America.

At the same time, The General revealed that its EVs will include NACS connectors starting in 2025. The automaker said that easy availability of charging is key to wider EV adoption and access to Tesla stations will help to boost GM EV ownership in the U.S.