White House Revs Up for Tesla Charging Standard: NACS Takes a Big Step Forward

Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) is nearing its final pit stop on the road to standardization, fueled by a recent technical report and a crucial boost from the White House. After months of accelerating towards this goal, SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, released its Technical Information Report (TIR) for NACS, paving the way for widespread adoption of the charging standard.

The TIR report for NACS, dubbed the SAE J3400 standard, discusses the engineering and development details of Tesla's North American Charging Standard, eliminating uncertainties for manufacturers and developers eager to deploy the technology, according to a Drive Tesla report. The adoption of NACS is expected to help the United States' EV adoption, considering its simplicity and compatibility with the Tesla Supercharger Network.

"As the Biden-Harris Administration supports the buildout of a convenient and reliable national charging network, open standards are crucial to ensuring that every EV can charge at any station," said Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office. "We appreciate the commitment and knowledge of SAE and its experts from the automotive, EV charging, academic, and government sectors to make the charging experience easier and more accessible for Americans nationwide."

Automakers committed to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) in 2022: 1

Automakers committed to NACS in 2023: 28

Thank you for joining our vision to improve charging experiences for all EV drivers!

— Tesla (@Tesla) December 20, 2023

The SAE J3400 standard marks a significant victory for Tesla, having eclipsed the previously dominant Combined Charging System (CCS) in the United States. But while CCS was practically the industry standard in the US, the advantages of NACS were simply too big to ignore. This became evident when other carmakers started committing themselves to Tesla's charging standard. 

Over the past months, carmakers, from Ford and General Motors to Toyota, and more recently, Volkswagen, have all committed to releasing electric cars that adopt Tesla's charging standard. Startups such as Rivian, Lucid, and Fisker, all of which are direct competitors of Tesla, have also jumped on the NACS bandwagon.

This race towards a unified charging standard offers a brighter future for EV owners across North America. With NACS gaining momentum, the promise of seamless charging experiences and a thriving electric ecosystem appears closer than ever. The road ahead may still hold some bumps, but the White House's backing and the technical clarity provided by the SAE J3400 standard suggest that NACS is on track to become the champion of EV charging nationwide.