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 Ford, Rivian and GM EVs can charge at most Tesla Supercharger locations with the use of an adapter supplied by Ford/Rivian/GM, or purchased from a third party ( A2Z or Lectron).
Kia EVs will have access to Tesla Superchargers on January 15, 2025, and other automakers are also updating their vehicle software to gain access.
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 and when they first announced that they would be adding later compatibility to access the Tesla Supercharging network (green means they have access now):
- Ford - May 25, 2023
- General Motors - June 8, 2023
- Rivian - June 2023
- Volvo and Polestar - June 2023
- Mercedes-Benz - July 2023
- Nissan - July 2023
- Fisker - July 2023
- Honda (with Acura) - September 2023
- Jaguar - September 2023
- Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis - October 5, 2023
- BMW Group (BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce) - October 2023
- Toyota (with Lexus) - October 19, 2023
- Subaru - November 1, 2023
- Lucid - November 6, 2023
- Volkswagen Group (VW, Porsche, Audi, Scout Motors) - December 21, 2023
- Mazda - January 2024
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:
