BMW, Mini, And Rolls-Royce Switch To Tesla-Style NACS Connector

NACS might just have won the charging plug wars.

In a shock to nearly no one, BMW has announced that all of its brands – Mini, BMW, and Rolls Royce – will make the switch to the Tesla-style NACS (North American Charging Standard) plug. Just like Hyundai, Kia, Ford, GM, Rivian, Jaguar, Honda, Volvo, and Nissan, BMW group models will have access to Tesla superchargers, and BMW plans to integrate the port natively by 2025.

“This agreement is the latest in our longstanding and continued effort to expand charging options for our customers as we continue on the road to electrification,” said BMW North America CEO & President Sebastian Mackensen. BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce drivers will be able to navigate to Tesla Superchargers and pay in-app. Also, current BMW EVs will also gain access to Superchargers. The brand hasn’t said how, but judging from past announcements, it’ll likely be via a third-party adapter.

Clearly, this spells the end of CCS (combined charging standard), as NACS rises to the top as the clear winner. The only major holdouts are Lucid, Volkswagen Group, and Stellantis. Everyone else has vowed to make the switch. Despite all that, BMW said that its decision to switch to NACS is independent of the charging coalition it has with six other automakers, including Stellantis.

Now, Tesla Superchargers are considered the best in the business in part because of the Supercharger’s good customer service. The chargers are reliable, but, will that reputation continue when every EV that can DC fast charge has access to them? How will charger etiquette change when a Chevrolet Bolt, which can charge at a max speed of 50 KW, is blocking a Tesla Model X which can charge four times as fast?

We’ll soon find out come 2025.

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