Charging Standards: J1772/NACS/Tesla???
Before mid-2023, North America was "blessed" with two different low speed AC charging standards and three high speed DC fast charging standards. In mid-2023, almost all North American EV manufacturers came together and endorsed the Tesla designed North American Charging Standard (NACS) which is simply the Tesla plug that has been used on Teslas for both low speed AC and high speed DC charging since 2012.
Non-Tesla EVs manufactured in 2025 and beyond are expected to natively support the NACS/Tesla plug. Current J1772/CCS EVs will be able to use Tesla Superchargers with the use of an adapter.
This was important as it became increasingly obvious that only the Tesla Supercharger network was ubiquitous and reliable enough to enable hassle free long distance driving.
Tesla Supercharger Access For Non-Teslas
Currently many non-Tesla EVs can charge at most Tesla Supercharger locations (see chart below) with the use of an adapter supplied by the manufacturer or purchased from a third party ( A2Z or Lectron).
All non Tesla EVs can additionally charge at the "Magic Dock" enabled Tesla Superchargers or at third party CCS networks.
Here's a list of EV manufacturers, when they first announced that they would be adding later compatibility to access the Tesla Supercharging network, and when they actually got access:
| Manufacturer | Announced | Have Access |
|---|---|---|
| Ford | May 2023 | February 2024 |
| General Motors | June 2023 | September 2024 |
| Rivian | June 2023 | March 2024 |
| Volvo/Polestar | June 2023 | October 2024 |
| Nissan | July 2023 | November 2024 |
| Mercedes-Benz | July 2023 | |
| Fisker | July 2023 | |
| Honda/Acura | September 2023 | |
| Jaguar | September 2023 | |
| Hyundai/Kia/Genesis | October 2023 | |
| BMW/MINI/Rolls-Royce | October 2023 | |
| Toyota/Lexus | October 2023 | |
| Subaru | November 2023 | |
| Lucid | November 2023 | |
| Volkswagen/Porsche/Audi/Scout | December 2023 | |
| Mazda | January 2024 |
This announcement says that Kia EVs will have access to Tesla Superchargers on January 15, 2025.
This is what a Tesla plug looks like, This plug is used for both AC and DC fast charging:
J1772 and CCS
J1772 is the name of the charging standard that most non-Tesla EVs are currently using (until sometime in 2025). CCS is the extension to J1772 that adds DC fast charging. This is what the CCS plug looks like. The top round part is the J1772 portion:
There is also another DC fast charging standard called CHAdeMO, but it is almost obsolete in North America and is on its way out.
Adapters
Every Tesla comes with a J1772 adapter so that it can charge at public J1772 charging stations:
Tesla owners can also buy a CCS adapter so that they can charge at public CCS fast chargers:
EV owners of J1772 compatible vehicles can buy a Tesla to J1772 adapter that allows them to charge from Tesla Wall Connectors, the Tesla Mobile Connector, and Tesla destination chargers but not Tesla Superchargers:
