Hyundai is considering a move to also adopt Tesla’s North America Charging Standard (NACS) for its electric vehicles (EVs). The decision comes as Ford, General Motors, and just today Rivian have announced deals with Tesla to use its charging technology.
The possibility to join the alliance of automakers embracing Tesla’s charging standard was revealed by the company’s CEO, Jaehoon Chang at the company’s investor day on Tuesday (via Reuters).
However, before a decision is made Chang emphasized the need to prioritize its customers’ interests. At the forefront of those concerns is that Tesla’s current Supercharger network does not meet the faster charging capabilities of Hyundai’s EVs. For example, the IONIQ 5 features an 800-volt electrical architecture that enables faster charging. In contrast, Tesla’s V3 Superchargers operate at 480-volts.
Chang stated that Hyundai plans to engage in discussions with Tesla to explore potential adjustments to its charging system, with the goal to provide Hyundai customers with faster charging options. Tesla has of course already released their V4 Supercharger, and while Tesla has not revealed the exact technical specifications of their latest charging technology, according to the details on the units themselves they have a rated voltage of 1,000V.
There is however only one V4 Supercharger station that has been deployed so far in the Netherlands, and Tesla has not made any announcements on where or how quickly it plans to expand them.
