Volkswagen Plans To Use Tesla Supercharger In 2025, Here's Why
JAKARTA - Volkswagen plans to provide Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters for its electric vehicles no later than 2025, meaning it will have to wait about a year.
This was revealed by one of the VW spokespersons to InsideEVs, quoted on Tuesday, March 5. Of course not a few have asked why it will take longer, while Ford and Rivian have started accessing the network.
It turns out that there are several reasons and not as easy as expected. One of the challenges is the existing Standard Charging Joint Charger (CCS), using separate pin configurations for slow charging of back and forth currents (ACs) and fast charging of direct currents (DCs), and currently VW cars can charge electric vehicles with slower Tesla AC destination chargers, and Ford uses only DC fast charging.
As is known, the NACS connector is the same for fast and slow charging, meaning the car must know if it accepts DC or AC currents, and directs them automatically. In addition, cars charging CCS are not made to do that, so any manufacturer who wants to make the adapter function in conditions of AC and DC charging must include these functions in the adapter.
"We just want to investigate and make sure that whatever adapters we produce are functioning perfectly with AC and DC. To do that will take quite a while," VW spokesman Mark Gillies told InsideEVs.
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Apart from that, the time crisis is still going on because most manufacturers have to prepare their adapters by the end of 2025. Gillies stated that there is still work to be done for this, and it is too early to answer specifically whether VW owners need separate apps.
However, the good news is that the issue of AC and DC transition will not last long. Starting in 2026, every VW Group EV that is refreshed or redesigned will get NACS support from the factory, so that the car will be able to handle the transition internally.
In addition, the first VW Group product to get a new NACS port is the next refresher from Porsche Taycan in 2026.