Dive Brief:
- Mercedes-Benz will adopt Tesla’s North America Charging Standard for its future electric vehicles starting in 2025, according to a press release Friday.
- Beginning in 2024, drivers of Mercedes-Benz EVs equipped with the Combined Charging System plug will be able to access Tesla’s Supercharger network in North America using an adapter.
- It’s the first German automaker to announce the switch to Tesla’s NACS charging port.
Dive Insight:
As more automakers, including Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Rivian, adopt Tesla’s NACS plug, the long-term future of the CCS charging standard is more unclear. Last month, SAE International announced it would standardize the NACS plug for EVs.
In addition to access to the Tesla Supercharger network, Mercedes-Benz will continue to expand its own charging network with more than 400 charging hubs, including more than 2,500 high-power chargers in North America by 2030.
The first Mercedes-Benz chargers will open by the end of 2023 and offer CCS and NACS plugs.
Tesla opened its proprietary charging plug design to vehicle OEMs and EV charging operators in November 2022, allowing them to use its NACS plug on their vehicles and public chargers.
