NACS (native Tesla charging port) January 1st??

[SANZC02]

I would be surprised if R2 comes out in 2026, though I would love to be wrong.

I would be surprised if we do not see the R2 in 2026, it is highly critical for their progression. To me the question is first half or second half.

I think we should have a pretty good idea of timing by June 2025. They reported in last earnings call they have more than 80% of the R2 parts sourced, have the site work completed and are starting the buildout.

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[Joseph D]

Sure, but it's quite easy to imagine a world where a very specific component or the exact kind of contactor required to make the NACS AC/DC switchover work is constrained by Tesla deliberately. Whether they produce it or not, if they use the same suppliers they could easily squeeze them with contracts to affect competitors.

The further non-Tesla vehicles separate themselves from being dependent on anything Tesla related, the better in my mind.

I agree with the overall sentiment of wanting to distance from Tesla, but I don't feel like this hill of specific components to swap from ac/dc is worth worrying about. Anyone can produce these components, they are public. As more car manufactures swap to nacs, more suppliers will pop up or current suppliers will increase production, and once they do they want to make as many as they can to increase their bottom line. All im saying is Tesla does not have any control over this avenue.

Your comment above about tesla changing their mind on the whole supercharger situation is definitely a concern in the back of my head as well, but worst case I'm back to road tripping using EA like I was for years beforehand.

 

[ndmiller]

I’ve seen no commitment timelines for other networks converting to NACS cables and when traveling in my Rivian the Superchargers are not my first choice to charge.

You won't see any networks convert as there are tons of CCS ports out there and adapters both ways. Why would they invest in something their customers have already or will invest in. While the Supercharger Access is nice, less than half the trips I've taken this year have been supercharger exclusive.

I anticipate using an adapter one way or another for at least another decade or risk being stuck unable to charge because of port-charger incompatibility. That'd be a ton of aggravation to save a couple hundred dollars on an adapter.

 

[ukyank]

CCS sucks in comparison. The sooner it dies off the better.

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

CCS sucks in comparison. The sooner it dies off the better.

I always find this take confusing. As the end user, which part do you think "sucks" in comparison? Two extra pins? Having to explain to people the difference in charging speed?

We're all talking about the wrong charging problem. CCS works great, the problem is entirely education and marketing based. I barely care about what charge port I have, I care a whole lot more about the Chevy Bolt sitting at the 350kW charger for 2 hours charging at 20kW for no reason when the 50kW unit sits idle.

I cannot imagine the absolute nightmare that will ensue when all of the slow charging vehicles get Tesla Supercharger access and clog everything up for no reason.

 

[ndmiller]

CCS sucks in comparison. The sooner it dies off the better.

I've been driving a CCS car since 2017 and nothing about the actual port has ever had me concerned. NACS is certainly a simplified port and an upgrade, but lots and lots of CCS vehicles and charging infrastructure will exist for a very long time regardless (at least a decade).

Main benefit to CCS is that NACS rigid infrastructure is 50-200% more expensive than other CCS alternatives I seen over the past 9 months. Regularly find <$0.50/minute CCS charging on trips, while closest NACS is $0.35-.$075/KW. This is about $20-$25 more per charge to 70-75% in most cases for me and I'm in the southeast not Cali or the northeast.

Additionally NACS infrasturcture is only ideal for Teslas, with issues on cord size, old incompatible infrastructure (V?), and general overcrowding of sites.

 

[CharonPDX]

At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Rivian backtracks on their NACS port plans because it's an immense risk to their success.

I was firmly in camp "stop trying to make NACS happen" - until the tidal wave of automakers all making public releases announcing their switch to it. Now I'm firmly in "this transition can't happen fast enough."

That said, I have zero interest in paying any money to Tesla for anything, so I won't be using Superchargers at all for the foreseeable future. So that means any J3400/NACS-native vehicles will need adapters to use the almost-entirely-CCS non-Tesla infrastructure that's out there. And you know what, I'm fine with that. Because that will be a short term thing. Most charge network providers have stated their commitment to roll out J3400 dispensers.

Do I think this will suddenly make Electrify America more reliable? No. Their reliability had nothing to do with the plug on the end of the cable.

 

[allisgoodman]

Is there a Gen2.5 coming before R2 comes out?

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

 

[AZMurph]

These are all great points, thanks all. I can't wait to get rid of my Tesla and get the Rivian (waiting for Quad details to come out) and was thinking it would make using my old Tesla mobile charger easier as well as Tesla superchargers... but to your points, I'd still need an adapter for regular charging locations in that case and frankly, I'd rather move away from Tesla as much as possible at this point. Appreciate the feedback... this was helpful. Now if only someone actually knew some Quad details and availability!

I just moved from a Tesla to a Rivian. I had a CCS to NACS adapter with my Tesla and now have a NACS to CCS adapter with my Rivian. The current Rivian J1772/CCS port gives you more adapter free slow charging (I didn’t realize how often I used the J1772 adapter with my Tesla at hotels, parking garages, etc) and you only need the NACS to CCS adapter with a Rivian for Tesla Superchargers. Situations will vary but for now I’m using the Tesla chargers as backup due to the short cable alignment issue. They’re available and provide more charging options, but they’re not my first choice. And I can now say from experience that I’d rather use the NACS to CCS adapter I’m using now than the larger and clunkier CCS to NACS adapter I was using with my Tesla.

So, all of that is just background to say that while I also debated waiting for the NACS port on my next vehicle, I’m glad I didn’t and now actually believe it’s better to not wait. We’ll be in an adapter environment one direction or another for the next 5-10 years and for now I’d rather be on the J1772/CCS side of it (in a vehicle with Supercharger access).

 

[SeaGeo]

These are all great points, thanks all. I can't wait to get rid of my Tesla and get the Rivian (waiting for Quad details to come out) and was thinking it would make using my old Tesla mobile charger easier as well as Tesla superchargers... but to your points, I'd still need an adapter for regular charging locations in that case and frankly, I'd rather move away from Tesla as much as possible at this point. Appreciate the feedback... this was helpful. Now if only someone actually knew some Quad details and availability!

I've ridden in one. The details are that it's damn quick.

 

[mpshizzle]

The transition period from CCS to NACS is just going to suck. No way around it. But as more auto makers start their transitions (which almost all of them have committed to) more charger operators and networks will begin swapping.

In many cases, that will be a relatively easy swap, as the communication protocol is the same. Literally just swapping the cable. Even Tesla's own vehicles have started using CCS communication protocol on V3 and v3.5 supercharger locations.

NACS is just objectively a better connector. Smaller and easier to handle - even if it's on the end of a chonk-tastic EA cable, still easier to hold. More elegantly engineered. Plus it actually can latch for real on AC charging. Most CCS vehicles do not lock the charging cord on AC charging. Rivian's method of just clamping down on the external latch is... not great. It works, but is also an invitation for broken latches.

As for adapters, no matter which connector your car has you're gonna need one. Depending on where you live, some areas have more j1772 AC charging, some have more NACS AC charging. I know more than a few times when traveling I've encountered hotels with nothing but Tesla destination chargers.

So IMHO - no matter what it's gonna suck in the transition. You're gonna have to have an adapter, and that's inevitable until the transition has been made. So I feel it can't happen fast enough.

 

[beatle]

I heard they were going to retrofit all existing vehicles with NACS ports starting on 4/1.

 

[captainjp]

It still matters quite a bit, I fear. Do you think Tesla is going to have 0% stake in producing those NACS ports? How long until Tesla decides to limit the production of NACS ports (just like they've done for adaptors) to put the squeeze on competitors? When the federal subsidies for opening up charger networks dry up, what incentive does Tesla have to allow other vehicles to charge at superchargers regardless of NACS or CCS port?

What incentive does Tesla have to allow other vehicles to charge at superchargers? Is that a joke? You mean besides having to pay Tesla to charge. Or maybe the monthly “membership fee” to get premium rates? That’s all the incentive they need, bruh.

 

[allisgoodman]

I heard they were going to retrofit all existing vehicles with NACS ports starting on 4/1.

Do you mean current owners' or Rivian inventory vehicles?

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