One of the last remaining holdouts has finally caved as the Volkswagen Group has announced their brands will adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) starting in 2025. This means Audi, Porsche, Scout, and Volkswagen vehicles for North America will have the Tesla-designed port.
Details will be announced closer to that date, but Volkswagen said they’re “committed to improving the charging experience through open standards and interoperability.” While current owners will be stuck with the Combined Charging System (CCS), the brands are exploring adapters which would enable existing vehicles to be replenished at NACS chargers.
Tesla’s Senior Director of Charging, Rebecca Tinucci, said “With the VW Group’s commitment, almost every major automotive manufacturer is onboard, rallying behind a shared vision of improving charging experiences for all EV drivers.” She went on to note this is a radical change as the NACS was little more than a dream at the beginning of the year.
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Speaking of Tesla, owners of Volkswagen Group vehicles can expect access to more than 15,000 Superchargers. That’s good news, but they’re going to be crowded as nearly every automaker will have access to the Supercharger network in the near future.
While Volkswagen didn’t go into specifics about future vehicles, Scout CEO Scott Keogh confirmed their upcoming models will have NACS connectors from the onset. This is a wise move as it effectively means they’re future-proof.
With today’s announcement, Stellantis is the only major automaker not to embrace the NCAS. However, it’s likely only a manner of time until that happens.
Brands That Have Embraced The NACS