Mazda Embraces Tesla's North American Charging Standard for EVs
By Dabbie Davis
Jan 22, 2024 02:04 AM EST
Mazda has officially announced its collaboration with Tesla. It confirmed utilizing the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) for charging ports on their next 2025 all-electric vehicles in North America. As part of this deal, Mazda will receive access to Tesla's large network of over 15,000 Superchargers in North America for its electric vehicles, with the prospect of adding more in the future. This move aligns Mazda with the growing trend among automakers to use the North American Charging Standard, which Tesla pioneered.
Charging with Tesla Station
According to sources, Mazda's adoption of the NACS charging standard is consistent with the overall EV industry trend. This change began a year ago with comparable declarations from Ford and General Motors.
While Mazda currently lacks an all-electric vehicle in the United States (the Mazda MX-30 is discontinued, albeit perhaps available in Canada), sources say that they are intending to offer a new electric model in 2025, likely becoming the first Mazda EV to have the new NACS charging inlet.
Furthermore, reports had it that SAE International anticipates the standardization of the Tesla-developed NACS charging solution, to be known as the SAE J3400 NACS, by the conclusion of 2024. This standardized system is poised to replace the SAE J1772 Combo (also known as CCS1) for both AC and DC charging in new electric vehicles.
Mazda has not disclosed whether they will offer an adapter for the limited number of Mazda MX-30s sold in the U.S. (approximately 605 units in total). However, there is a possibility that MX-30s could still charge at certain Supercharger locations, as some of them are equipped with a built-in CCS1 adapter.
READ MORE: Stellantis Showcases 8 Diverse New Models on STLA Large Platform
Mazda Joins League
Mazda's decision to embrace the NACS charging standard now leaves only Mitsubishi, which has not announced any new EVs but is primarily owned by Nissan (a company committed to NACS), and the Stellantis conglomerate as the remaining automakers in the U.S. that have not yet declared their adoption of the NACS charging port.
Mazda has expressed its support for the NACS charging standard and is actively working towards introducing all-electric vehicles in US dealerships by 2025 or later. Currently, the company's primary focus is on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), including the CX-90 PHEV and the upcoming CX-70 PHEV. To aid in charging, Mazda claims to offer access to a network of over 15,000 Tesla Superchargers for its customers.
However, Mazda's transition to electric vehicles initially faced challenges. In 2021, the company announced plans to introduce 13 new electrified models, including three fully electric ones, to the global market between 2022 and 2025. The 2022 Mazda MX-30, a subcompact electric SUV with a 100-mile range, marked the beginning of this effort in the United States. It had limited availability, with fewer than 600 units sold, mainly in California, and was discontinued after just two model years, ending production in 2023. CNET Roadshow had the complete details about it.
North American Charging Standard
As per Tesla's website, in their commitment to advancing the global shift towards sustainable energy, Tesla has announced the release of their electric vehicle (EV) connector design to the public. They extend an invitation to charging network operators and automotive manufacturers to incorporate the Tesla charging connector, which is now referred to as the North American Charging Standard (NACS), into their respective equipment and vehicles.
It is worth noting that NACS represents the predominant charging standard in North America, with NACS-equipped vehicles surpassing CCS-equipped ones by a two-to-one margin. Additionally, Tesla's Supercharging network boasts 60% more NACS charging stations than the cumulative total of CCS-equipped networks.
RELATED ARTICLE: Tesla Responds to Regulatory Shifts, Updates EV Range Estimates
Copyright @ MOTORTIMES, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.