GM follows Ford with NACS Tesla charge port adoption -- time to ditch CCS1 (at least the physcial design)

[whitex]

Here's a nice summary article from MotorTrend on the adoption of the NACS and Tesla partnership by auto maker.

The VW Group page is shown below, and it sounds like discussions are under way.

So VW would like access to NACS, but perhaps they only want to do adapters and not willing to switch to NACS ports on their cars? That could be a sticking point as Elon seems to insist on the native port transition commitment before giving access via adapters. If he was fine with just adapters, Tesla could offer those to any CCS car (a cheap, portable version of MagicDock).

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[snstevens]

So VW would like access to NACS, but perhaps they only want to do adapters and not willing to switch to NACS ports on their cars? That could be a sticking point as Elon seems to insist on the native port transition commitment before giving access via adapters. If he was fine with just adapters, Tesla could offer those to any CCS car (a cheap, portable version of MagicDock).

IMO we need the NACS connector as well as access. CCS1 is just too bulky and unreliable.

 

[whitex]

IMO we need the NACS connector as well as access. CCS1 is just too bulky and unreliable.

I agree, the NACS connector is a better design on all fronts. However, some may see a Tesla port on their car as "scarlet letter", publicizing their defeat. People make emotional decisions all the time. See our current white house doing everything in their power to ignore/discourage anything Tesla (probably related to Tesla not giving large political donations, nor having unions which do). Now that I wrote that, I wonder if VW has some kind of a commitment in their dieselgate agreement with the US government that besides funding EA, that they will continue to support CCS1.

 

[Jonathan S.]

The consent decree definitely has no such obligation regarding CCS1.
(Sent while waiting on a 45.5kW Blink charging session in Ludlow VT after wasting over half an hour with customer service who eventually determined that the other charger could not charge because it is broken.)

 

[whitex]

A small tidbit of disappointing information. Apparently NACS standard does not include opening the charge port via the EVSE handle (which Tesla handles/cars do). This means that while the charge ports could potentially be smaller with NACS, there will still be buttons, fins, or fingerprints on spring-loaded charge ports.

Info from Lectron explaining why their NACS EVSE's don't have the button to open charge ports.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Cheap...at-Best-Buy-courtesy-of-Lectron.762534.0.html

 

[snstevens]

Additional news today about adoption of NACS by Subaru.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

Additional news today about adoption of NACS by Subaru.

And now all 10 Solterra owners are pissed off (making a fist and looking angrily at the sky: "I knew I should have waited!")

 

[Jonathan S.]

And now all 10 Solterra owners are pissed off (making a fist and looking angrily at the sky: "I knew I should have waited!")

Drat, so much for what garnering any laughs at what I thought would be my hilarious line of trading in my Taycan and returning to my longstanding Subaru ways upon this announcement.

 

[Jonathan S.]

Looks like VAG is the last holdout:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...convenience-to-lucid-customers-301978919.html

 

[simcity]

Looks like VAG is the last holdout:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...convenience-to-lucid-customers-301978919.html

Have Stellantis joined the party?

 

[daveo4EV]

Looks like VAG is the last holdout:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rel...convenience-to-lucid-customers-301978919.html

the Taycan is the fastest charging EV in North American that you can't charge due to an unreliable charging network…

this from the company who's own marketing slides are wrong about it's products charging specifications, and has marketing staff that would rather argue with their customers about how EV charging works vs. fixing the slides to be accurate.

it all makes perfect sense - this has gone from awkward to tragic - and from forward looking to embarassingly being out maneuvered…

good thing they've delay'd the Macan due to their excellent software/tech and have alternative ideas in mind so they don't need to have EV's that can actually charge…https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/202...sustainability-interview-karl-dums-31632.html

Maybe they should offer support for a Blackberry phone app to activate charging sessions at Electrify America charging stalls…to address their core 911 customer base.



I simply will not purchase an EV in North America without supercharger access - and it looks like Porsche could care less.

 

[Jonathan S.]

Have Stellantis joined the party?

You mean manufacturing any EV models?
Supposedly later this year.

But yes, you're right, technically VAG is not sitting alone at the school cafeteria table.
Even worse though, it's sitting with Stellantis.

Which reminds me, my in-laws recently went on some sort of long trip travelling around the mountainous west, IIRC desert-ish Utah (or something like that).
Upon arrival at the Hertz rental counter, the only option was Tesla!
They rightly refused, given that even for a savvy EV veteran, recharging would not be convenient for their itinerary.
Fortunately, Stellantis to the rescue: upon add'l complaining, an ICE was available to rent from Hertz, specifically ...
... Dodge Challenger.
This is about a zillion times funnier if you can imagine an 80+ couple straight out of a Seinfield skit.
They could barely see over the hood!
Muscleheads would come up to them when parked to dole out compliments on their vehicle.

 

[Tooney]

Which reminds me, my in-laws recently went on some sort of long trip travelling around the mountainous west, IIRC desert-ish Utah (or something like that).
Upon arrival at the Hertz rental counter, the only option was Tesla!
They rightly refused, given that even for a savvy EV veteran, recharging would not be convenient for their itinerary.

Related to getting a Tesla at rent-a-car:
Another EV Rental Car Nightmare

 

[Jonathan S.]

[...] Maybe they should offer support for a Blackberry phone app to activate charging sessions at Electrify America charging stalls…to address their core 911 customer base. [...]

Hah, good one -- I'll repost it to the Taycan MySpace page!

I'm still happy though that I bought my 4CT, especially since V3 TSCN access won't be available to anyone until around June 2024. (Well, other than for Tesla drivers!)
And when I stopped by a BMW i5 premiere night last night, the dealership manager told me to abandon any hope (even the slightest!) that the upcoming wagon variant ("Touring") will be coming here.
He did though show me that the upcoming S6 etron will be coming here (along with the A6 etron of course), although unclear whether just sedan version or also the wagon variant ("Avant"), and whether the sedan will be just a sedan or a hatchback (as in the prototypes).

 

[Jonathan S.]

Related to getting a Tesla at rent-a-car:
Another EV Rental Car Nightmare

That 2.3% Avis profit on any TSCN charging, even if ultimately getting lost in the rounding almost compared to the total rental cost, still just strikes me as especially egregious.

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