How the Tesla NACS Standard Could Be Fair for Everyone
By Edward A. Sanchez — June 20, 2023
This week, the third major (relatively speaking) automaker pledged support for Tesla’s NACS protocol. EV startup manufacturer Rivian said it would begin equipping its 2025 models with the NACS port as standard equipment. This brings official adoption to three, following Ford and General Motors. At this point, many are figuring it’s just a matter of time before other large names such as Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Toyota, and others get on board.
As a Tesla owner and general fan of the brand, I see this as a generally positive development, as NACS’ benefits relative to CCS1 are clear to see by most. Praise for this growing trend is not universal, however. And the critics of the development are not totally unjustified in their caution and circumspection.
Although behind-closed-doors conversations have undoubtedly taken place between Tesla and the other OEMs pledging adoption, as well as CharIN, the specifics of the steps toward making NACS more of an “open” standard are still largely shrouded in mystery, conjecture, and intrigue. Will Tesla continue to “own” the standard, even as it invites other partners into its fold? Will Tesla Supercharger stations soon become chaotic free-for-alls with EV owners angrily jockeying for position to get an available charger and backing up highway off-ramps?
Rivian is just the latest EV maker to shift from CCS1 to NACS.
Will Elon Musk and Tesla shareholders continue to reap the rewards of thousands or millions of new users using the Supercharger network, while the third-party networks fade further into obscurity and irrelevance?
Nobody knows.
I do have, however, a few suggestions that might make this as much of a “win-win” as it can be, all things considered.
Tesla needs to work with CharIN to make NACS IP freely available
This seems like it is already taking place, as charging station hardware manufacturers such as ABB, Tritium, SK Signet, and others have said they will start integrating NACS hardware into their future chargers. The charging networks likewise have also said they would start equipping future charging stations with NACS plugs. The specific terms of the licensing and IP sharing are not known, or have only been hinted at. Is NACS a royalty structure? In perpetuity? Over 5-10 years? Is the royalty shared with CharIN? Will CharIN become the eventual custodian of NACS?
Third-party (non-Tesla) networks need to adopt NACS aggressively
If it looks like NACS is going to become the de facto “North American” standard going forward, which by all indications, it looks poised to do, Tesla’s current Supercharger network is not equipped to handle the tsunami of new users that will soon start using it. I have had to wait to charge (although not for very long) at a high-use Supercharger location. Even with an aggressive, concerted buildout of the network by Tesla, it may prove insufficient if EV adoption continues on a hockey-curve trajectory. All the major networks need to start retrofitting or replacing their charging stations to incorporate NACS ahead of the wave of new models that will be natively equipped with it.
Tesla needs to be a good faith partner in NACS deployment/troubleshooting
Tesla needs to be actively involved in the promotion of NACS, and part of that is being actively involved with partner organizations and companies adopting it. Inevitably, there will be some hiccups and headaches along the way in terms of interoperability, payment validation, vehicle recognition, etc. Tesla needs to have a “rapid response team” dedicated to working with third-party partners to make sure these issues get resolved quickly, and has a repository of technical documentation and “best practices” recommendations to assure that the NACS experience is as close to universally pleasant and easy-to-use as possible.
Will Musk, Tesla, and its shareholders reap the rewards of widespread NACS adoption? Certainly. But there’s no reason why everyone else should have to get the short end of the stick. Despite all of Musk’s seemingly erratic actions, tweets, and controversial comments, a good-faith, proactive implementation of NACS could do more for Tesla (and by extension, Musk’s) PR than any boilerplate or self-congratulatory statement. If implemented and executed correctly, the universal adoption of NACS could be a win for all parties involved.
(Images courtesy Rivian)
