VW, Porsche, and Audi EVs Will Adopt NACS Charging in 2025
Volkswagen Group is “exploring” adapters for current EVs, too.
Volkswagen's North American suite of brands, including Audi, Porsche, and the upcoming Scout Motors, will start implementing Tesla's NACS connector for charging in their electric vehicles beginning in 2025, the company announced Tuesday. Work is also ongoing to allow existing Volkswagen Group EVs to interface with Tesla's Supercharger network through the use of adapters.
This announcement parallels one made by Volkswagen affiliate Electrify America, which previously stated its public charging stations would adopt NACS by 2025. That news arrived this past June, and at the time, it felt like the writing was truly on the wall for CCS, the standard used by all automakers in North America except Tesla until very recently.
According to Volkswagen, adopting Supercharger compatibility will make roughly 15,000 terminals available to its vehicles that previously weren't; Electrify America's footprint currently stands at 3,800 fast-charging outlets.
It'll still be a bit of a wait for owners of Volkswagen or Volkswagen-affiliated EVs. Unlike electric offerings from General Motors and Ford, which could begin juicing up at Superchargers in as little as two months per Electrek, it doesn't seem as though the German automaker intends to make CCS-to-NACS adapters for its products available until the start of 2025. Still, that's not a total loss, as Tesla is in the process of supplementing its existing Supercharger terminals with the "Magic Dock" system, which basically houses a built-in adapter.
With Volkswagen's endorsement, one of the world's largest automakers has now joined Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mini, and Lucid on the NACS train. In fact, just about the only major player that hasn't yet voiced support is Stellantis, though considering that every automaker it's partnered with for that massive charging joint venture has already given in, you'd figure that domino's got to fall any minute now.
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