Stellantis switches to NACS

The Stellantis Group is opening up to the NACS charging system and equipping Jeep and Dodge electric models for the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea with the appropriate connectors. This will allow customers to access Tesla's Supercharger network.

Jeep wagoneer s ladestation charging station typ type usa min — Image: Jeep

In North America, a trend towards NACS connectors has been growing steadily for around two years. More and more manufacturers are adopting this standard or at least offering adapters for their vehicles.

The VW Group brands active in the USA are opting for the latter solution for their electric models. Electrify America, one of the largest charging infrastructure providers in the country, will also be equipping its charging stations with an additional NACS connection in the future.

After the Group announced in February 2024 that it would equip selected electric series with NACS connectors in future, Stellantis is now taking action. Models already available, such as the Jeep Grand Wagoneer S and the Dodge Charger Daytona, are set to roll off the production line with NACS connectors from next year. Future electric cars, led by the new Jeep Recon, will follow.

The group is not only focusing on the US and Canada, but is also implementing this change in the South Korean and Japanese markets. The NACS standard has also been gaining importance in these two East Asian countries recently.

Contrary to what was announced last year, Stellantis is not stopping at adapting its current products. Instead, the group has indicated that it is also working on an adapter solution for vehicles that have already been delivered. However, it does not intend to release further details until a later date. The biggest advantage of the NACS connector is that vehicles equipped with it can also use Tesla’s Supercharger network.

This is a decisive criterion, especially in the US, where Tesla’s infrastructure is particularly well developed. According to Stellantis, there are a total of 28,000 charging points in all the countries affected by the decision. The carmaker’s previous NACS plans did not yet take Tesla’s Supercharger into account. Instead, the focus was primarily on compatibility with the charging points of Electrify America and Ionna.

stellantisnorthamerica.com

This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for electrive’s German edition.