Jaguar is following in the footsteps of big-name manufacturers such as Ford, GM, and Mercedes, who have all laid out plans to provide native NACS charging support for Tesla charging stations. The NACS connector started as a Tesla exclusive but has exploded in popularity across the U.S. for a few reasons. One of the reasons is that it is small, with no moving parts. It is also more powerful than the other popular connector, the Combined Charging System (CCS). The connector is also not Tesla-exclusive anymore, as the company opened up the charging standard late last year, providing design and specification files for the connector. Access to Tesla Superchargers also means a car company does not have to build and maintain its own charging network.
Some are still keen on challenging Tesla. Recently, seven automakers teamed up to build a rival charging network. It’s still in the early stages, but these charging stations support both CCS and NACS charging. The newly formed group also notes that there will be no brand affiliation with the charging stations.
Until Tesla acquires a real rival, it remains the go-to charging network for many in the U.S., even if they have to use an adapter to have access to it. So it makes sense why companies like Jaguar want to tap into it. And if everyone adopts the same charging standard, it could solve one of the biggest challenges for EVs.