Electrify America operates one of the largest charging networks in the United States, so their decision to embrace the North American Charging Standard (NACS) is huge news and another step towards making the Combined Charging System (CCS) the Betamax of a new generation.
As announced earlier today, Electrify America and Electrify Canada will add NACS connectors to their network by 2025. The companies said the move is part of their “commitment to broaden charging solutions for electric vehicle drivers today and in the future.” Of course with Ford, GM, Volvo, and Polestar embracing Tesla’s charging standard, not adopting NACS would be detrimental to their business.
While NACS is finally beginning to live up to its name, Electrify America isn’t giving up on CCS connectors. Instead, the two will coexist to “make charging as convenient as possible for EV owners.”
More: EVgo Becomes Latest Firm To Embrace Tesla’s Charging Standard Following Ford And GM
Since Electrify America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, it seems like only a matter of time before the automaker announces plans to adopt the North American Charging Standard as well. That remains to be seen, but momentum is building and may be unstoppable at this point.
Electrify America CEO Robert Barrosa said, “Since our founding, we have focused on building an inclusive and open hyper-fast charging network to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles. We look forward to continuing to support industry-wide standards that increase vehicle interoperability and streamline public charging.”
Electrify America and Electrify Canada operate more than 850 charging stations across North America. This gives them approximately 4,000 individual chargers, which have capacities of up to 350 kW.
