Volvo has decided to use Tesla’s special charging connector, which will give customers access to Tesla’s extensive network of fast-charging stations called Superchargers. Starting in 2025, Volvo’s electric cars will have a NACS port; the following year, an adapter will be available for older models. Volvo is the most recent automaker to say it will move to the NACS port. It is also the first foreign carmaker to do so. As more and more car companies decide to use Tesla’s proprietary charging port, the North American Charging Standard (or NACS for short), a fundamental shift is happening in how electric cars are charged. The last car company to make the switch was Volvo, which announced today that it had reached a deal with Tesla to use the American company’s charging infrastructure. Things will be different in 2025 Volvo says that by 2025, all of its electric cars will have a NACS port. Customers can charge their vehicles at Tesla’s massive network of Superchargers in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The charging network, which has over 12,000 fast chargers, is likely to grow even more. In a press release, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan said that easy access to charging infrastructure is a big reason why more people aren’t switching to electric driving, which is a crucial step toward making transportation more environmentally friendly. Getting More Adapters What does this mean for people who bought a Volvo before the NACS took effect? With an adaptor, the company’s XC40 Recharge, C40 Recharge, newly released EX30, and upcoming three-row EX90 SUV, all of which have CCS-type charge connectors, will be able to connect to Tesla’s chargers. Volvo claims the CCS-to-NACS adaptor would be ready in the first half of 2019, but its price remains unclear. Also, for cars coming out in 2025, the company plans to sell a NACS-to-CCS adapter for customers who want to charge their batteries with that charger. Even though other American automakers have already agreed to use Tesla’s charge port, Volvo is the first business outside the United States to do so. Ford started the process, then GM did, and now Rivian has chosen to work with Tesla. It is said that Stellantis and Hyundai will be the following companies to use NACS.
