SAE to develop standards for Tesla NACS connector

SAE International on Tuesday said it will develop manufacturing, performance and reliability standards for Tesla's North American Charging Standard connector.

"Standardizing the NACS connector will provide certainty, expanded choice, reliability and convenience to manufacturers and suppliers and, most of all, increase access to charging for consumers," said Frank Menchaca, president of Sustainable Mobility Solutions, an innovation arm of SAE's parent company, Fullsight.

General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Rivian and Volvo have said they are adapting Tesla's NACS plug by 2025, enabling non-Tesla EV drivers to use Tesla's rapidly growing network of chargers. Stellantis and Hyundai Motor Group are considering a similar move.

The move to Tesla's NACS system won't affect the federal government's funding of a nationwide charging network.

For federally funded EV chargers, including the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, "CCS and NACS connectors and adapters are eligible for funding. This means federal funding is available to build charging infrastructure that can service all EV drivers, regardless of their vehicle's current or future connector type," the Federal Highway Administration said in a statement.

SAE said developing the NACS standard will be put on a fast track and is one of several charging projects, including cybersecurity, the organization is working on to improve the performance, reliability and safety of EV charging.

Taken together, these efforts will contribute substantially to SAE's commitment to secure, clean and connected transportation, accessible to everyone," said David L. Schutt, CEO of SAE International. "We're delighted to do our part in aligning the excellent efforts of industry with those of government entities like the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to advance sustainable mobility on a national level."