A number of EV charger manufacturers have opposed a plan in Texas that could require them to build chargers with connectors for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) and the pre-existing Combined Charging Standard (CCS).
It was recently revealed by the Texas Department of Transportation that charging companies would need to add NACS connectors if they want to be eligible for a federally-funded program to electrify highways across the state. This decision came despite the fact that SAE International has not yet standardized the charger and may need as long as six months to do so.
In a letter written to the Texas Transportation Commission, five major EV charging operators including ChargePoint Holdings and ABB said more time is needed to re-engineer and test the Tesla connectors.
“Time is needed to properly standardize, test, and certify the safety and interoperability of Tesla connectors across the industry,” the letter viewed by Reuters said.
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The letter added that the Texas plan “risks the successful deployment” of the first phase of federal funds being introduced. A source familiar with the issue revealed that some of the organizations are planning to reach out to the federal government to discuss their concerns. The companies added that they will need to change various aspects of the NACS connectors to ensure adequate temperature ranges, get certification for specific parts, and extend the length of the cables. They also pointed out that a strong supply chain of NACS cables and connectors needs to be established.
Reuters notes that Tesla Superchargers currently account for roughly 60% of all fast chargers in the United States. However, some industry observers are concerned about how NACS and CCS will talk with each other and if having both standards will raise costs for vendors and customers.
