Developed by Tesla, the NACS charging standard was popularly known as the Tesla charging connector. It was used on all Tesla vehicles sold in North America starting in 2012. In November 2022, Tesla opened up the NACS standard to other automakers and charging network operators. The NACS standard is currently undergoing standardization validation by SAE International, effectively clearing its way to becoming the common charging standard for all EVs sold in the U.S. and parts of North America.
Recent entrants to the NACS fold include major players like Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Other major car makers that have adopted NACS include Hyundai, Volvo, Nissan, General Motors, Rivian, and Polestar. The only major carmaker that has yet to adopt the standard is Volkswagen. However, the company is reportedly in talks with Tesla for the same, and it is quite likely that they will be on board as well.
As for Subaru, it would be interesting to see if its decision to adopt NACS has a positive impact on the company’s EV fortunes.