With a push from US Congress, automakers and charging
companies are planning to install tens of thousands of fast chargers on American
highways capable of refueling electric cars in a half-hour or less.
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That’s good news for anyone who owns an electric car or is
thinking about buying one. But it’s also confusing because of a debate about
what kind of plugs those new chargers and cars will use now and in the future.
Ford Motor, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and other
automakers plan to abandon the plugs their electric cars use today for those
designed by Tesla. But they won’t begin selling cars with the Tesla plugs until
2025.
Until then, cars like the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Chevrolet
Bolt will come with technology that may eventually become obsolete, the
equivalent of Betamax videocassette recorders.
What plugs do
electric cars use today?
There are two main kinds of plugs. The most widely used was
developed by Tesla, which dominates the electric car business, and, so far,
works only with the company’s cars. It’s known as the North American Charging
Standard.
Many carmakers and
charging companies are switching to the Tesla plug for electric vehicles. Why
are they doing that and what will it mean?
Cars made by most other manufacturers use a plug known as
the Combined Charging System. Any electric car charger that is funded in part
by the federal government under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has to be
able to charge cars that use the CCS plug.
Many established automakers are switching from CCS to the
North American plug, which will allow their owners to use a portion of Tesla’s
network of fast chargers — 12,000 — and feel more confident about finding a
place to refuel. Tesla has roughly 20,000 fast chargers in the United States,
or about two-thirds of such chargers.
The established manufacturers will offer adapters that allow
Tesla chargers to deliver power to cars with CCS receptacles in early 2024.
Then, in 2025, new cars sold by the automakers will use Tesla plugs without
adapters.
With so many big automakers switching to the Tesla standard,
CCS’ days might be numbered in the United States. Of course, cars built for CCS
plugs will stay on the road for years, which means that charging stations will
need adapters or offer both kinds of plugs for the foreseeable future.
Why are automakers
switching to the Tesla plug?
Established carmakers are switching to Tesla’s system mainly
because it is more widespread than what they are using today and appears to
work better.
A Combined Charging
System plug. Many carmakers and charging companies are switching to the Tesla
plug for electric vehicles.
Tesla’s charging network is often found in locations that
don’t have CCS chargers. Many auto experts and drivers also say that Tesla
chargers are more reliable and the company’s plug is smaller, lighter and
easier to handle than the CCS plug.
In addition, Tesla has designed its system so that drivers
can plug in to one of its chargers and walk away. The chargers recognize each
Tesla car and bill its owner’s credit card automatically.
The performance of the charging networks operated by other companies
is notoriously uneven. Charging procedures vary. Some chargers require drivers
to plug in and then open an app on their phones. Others want customers to open
an app first. Some chargers accept credit cards, but others don’t.
Drivers of electric cars that are not Teslas often complain
about broken or finnicky chargers — complaints validated by independent
studies.
How much does charger
location matter?
It matters a lot.
Perhaps Tesla’s biggest advantage is that it has been at
this for a long time. It has secured choice locations at popular shopping
centers and along busy highways.
As a result, newer charging companies are often at a
disadvantage. Many of them have had to place some chargers in areas that lack
restrooms or restaurants. Stopping at some chargers, in empty parking lots, can
feel unsafe.
A Tesla charging
plug. Many carmakers and charging companies are switching to the Tesla plug for
electric vehicles. Why are they doing that and what will it mean?
In July, BMW, GM, Honda and four other automakers announced
they would jointly install 30,000 chargers in the United States and Canada.
These chargers will have both plugs.
Does the CCS plug have
any advantages?
Yes, these plugs can charge any electric car, including
Teslas if drivers are carrying adapters, which often come with their cars.
But the reverse is not true — the vast majority of Tesla
chargers can charge only Teslas. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, said in February that
he intended to open his company’s charging network to cars made by other
automakers. As of late August, only about a dozen of the company’s U.S.
charging stations, all in California, New York, or Texas, were available to other
cars.
CCS technology is not dominated by one company. While Tesla
has promised to hand oversight of its plug to an independent body, the company
and Musk have often been confrontational when dealing with other businesses and
government agencies. That’s why some auto experts believe that established
automakers could regret relying on Tesla.
While charging companies that offer CCS plugs have struggled
to offer reliable and easy to use services, there are many of them. Several,
including EVgo and Electrify America, operate nationwide and compete with one
another on price and service. Tesla is more insulated from competition, though
that will change as more companies offer chargers with the plugs its cars use.
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