Eaton officially announced that it will add Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector option to its Green Motion EV chargers.
That's another Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) manufacturer that is preparing for the ongoing switch from the Combined Charging System (CCS1)/SAE J1772 charging plugs to NACS.
In the case of Eaton, the NACS charging connector option will become available for new chargers in 2024. The company also confirms that will provide NACS retrofit options for its existing installed AC Level 2 units. Interestingly, there is no word about the retrofit options for older DC chargers (CHAdeMO or CCS1).
"New Eaton Green Motion electric vehicle (EV) chargers in North America will include the NACS connector starting in 2024, and the company will provide NACS retrofit options for its existing installed AC level two chargers."
Irene Lam, vice president of innovation and technology for Eaton’s Electrical Sector Americas region said:
“The future is electric, and charging infrastructure everywhere needs to be predictable, reliable and affordable. Aligning with open standards is a must, and Eaton has a strong track record here. We’re delivering breakout capabilities in EV hardware and software that adhere to open standards, enabling infrastructure that’s scalable and built to last.”
Currently, Eaton offers DC fast chargers (50-150 kilowatt), as well as a broad lineup of AC Level 2 charging points.
Let's note that until SAE International completes the standardization of the Tesla-developed charging connector (which is promised to happen in an expedited timeframe), EVSE manufacturers must rely on direct agreements with Tesla and materials provided by Tesla.
This is why this year, the transition will be full of announcements, while next year we should see a broader deployment of new NACS-compatible infrastructure, ahead of the deployment of NACS-compatible, non-Tesla vehicles in 2025.
During the transition period (at least several years, as we understand), new fast chargers are expected to be dual-head, with both CCS1 and NACS plugs, to make sure that the existing CCS1-compatible electric vehicles will not be orphaned by lack of support.
