The plug comes as standard in the US: Many brands are adopting Tesla’s plug

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An Audi in a Tesla Charger? It was impossible before, but now it’s almost normal. Because a year ago, the US electric car pioneer began rolling out Swiss superchargers for other brands as well. This was possible without any problems, because almost all electric cars in this country have a type 2 or CCS (Combined Charging System) plug – and therefore the same thing that happens with Tesla. However, the automobile industry in the USA is now transitioning to a new system.

A few years ago, when the electric car was still in its infancy, there was a short but fierce struggle for the right charging adapter. For the normal charging of the electric vehicle, the Mennekes Type 2 plug, which now most charging stations can refuel and the home wall box is also equipped with, has finally prevailed.

many advantages

But if you’re traveling long distances, you can’t do much with a type 2 plug because the charging speed here is closer to snail than cheetah speed. If you want to charge quickly, you cannot avoid the CCS connector. Structurally, the CCS plug is an extension of type 2 with two additional poles that enable fast charging.

The Chademo connector, which has technical origins in Japan, has been scrapped. The maximum charging power is only 50 kW instead of 350 or more with the CSS connector. CEE and Schuko plugs, which can be charged with a maximum of 2.3 to 3.7 kW, do not matter when charging your own electric vehicle.

But now, surprisingly, the race to charge plugs is in motion again. Because more and more brands in the USA are next to the NACS plug (North American Charging Standard) that Tesla and the brand are installing in the US market. One reason is the large US market, where charging providers like Electrify America lag far behind Musk’s charging infrastructure in many regions.

This had set up the supercharging network early on and set up multiple charging points per charging station. The situation is different with other US charging providers: Infinitely long queues at charging points are normal, especially in the cluster. In addition, there is often a problem with charging speed, as only 100 or 150 kW are provided. The high failure rate also bothers many electric car drivers.

Elon Musk (52) took advantage of this opportunity and has now opened superchargers with charging speeds of up to 250 kilowatts, which were previously only intended for Tesla models, to the use of various brands. This applies not only to the USA, but also to Europe, for example. Therefore, more and more other brands can be seen in the numerous superchargers from Tesla, which charge their batteries here.

Adapter as a solution for old cars

Now rival brands are also switching to the Tesla system. Volvo now gives its customers access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in the US, Canada and Mexico. From 2025, future Volvo vehicles in the region will also be equipped with Tesla’s NACS charging sockets. “On the road to being fully electric by 2030, we want to make life as easy as possible with an electric car,” emphasizes Volvo CEO Jim Rowan, 58.

Drivers of Volvo models such as the XC40 / C40 Recharge or the recently introduced EX30 and EX90 models do not even need to register as a third-party factory in the Tesla app, as before. Tesla Superchargers will be included in the Volvo app and navigation system and will be available from the first half of 2024, thanks to a standard plug adapter. This means that vehicles with CCS connectivity can also be charged at a NACS station.

Many manufacturers are already on board

Volvo isn’t the only manufacturer to take Tesla’s side. US auto giants Ford and General Motors, as well as Volvo subsidiary Polestar, are now relying on Tesla technology and integrating their respective charging plugs. For example, anyone traveling in a Ford F-150 Lightning will be able to refuel with Tesla Superchargers from 2024, just like Volvo customers.

“The Tesla Supercharger network is very reliable, and the NACS connector is smaller and lighter. Overall, this provides a better experience for customers,” says Marin Gjaja, responsible for electrical customers at Ford. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not enough, as he is currently courting the next big companies Stellantis and Toyota, both of which have yet to decide on a plug.

This puts special pressure on German manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Mercedes, who have so far relied on the CCS plug, all of which threaten to disappear from the US. However, the CCS connector standard will likely continue to dominate in Europe – after all, Tesla is using the same standard here as European manufacturers. But for automakers, vehicle manufacturing is getting more complex. Because now they have to integrate different plug standards depending on the continent.

Source: Blick