Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants Toyota to join the coalition of automakers that have already adopted the company’s charging connector, known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS).
Over the past several weeks, numerous automakers and charging companies have already committed to adopting the NACS connector.
The moves were started by Ford, which was the first major automaker to announce it would transition all of its EVs to be compatible with Tesla Superchargers starting in 2025 without an adapter. Starting next year, Ford EVs will be able to use 12,000 Supercharger locations across North America, but they will need an adapter. In 2025, the adapter will no longer be necessary.
General Motors announced a nearly identical partnership with Tesla soon after, and numerous charging companies, including ChargePoint, Blink, and Kempower, said they would also utilize NACS.
“Given recent announcements by Tesla, GM, and Ford, we are clearly witnessing the continued evolution of the EV charging industry as technologies advance and industry stakeholders come together and evaluate best practices,” Blink said in a statement.
It is likely that more major automakers will announce the same strategy soon, although NACS has not been made a standard by CharIN, the governing body that focuses on the electrification of all forms of transportation.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is encouraging Toyota to be the next, as noted in response to an article regarding the Japanese automaker’s bZ4X EV, which had a “painfully slow” charging experience, according to Business Insider.
“They should join the NACS coalition!” Musk said.
They should join the NACS coalition!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 14, 2023
Of course, NACS would not help the vehicle charge faster, but with the connector, it would open the possibility for the vehicle to charge at more locations, perhaps making the travel experience during longer trips less of a hassle.
Toyota has been noted as an automaker that has lagged in the adoption of EVs, instead opting for hybrid powertrains.
This week, Toyota announced it would produce solid-state batteries with high performance in an effort to increase and improve driving range. The efforts are being brought forth to decrease EV production costs.
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