The manufacturers’ alliance: A powerful recharging network

Since last spring, there’s been a lot of activity in the world of charging stations, and it’s all for the better! All the news we’ve received is excellent for consumers, and we can’t help but be delighted.

One announcement that attracted a lot of attention was the adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS). All seven automakers announced that they would be adopting Tesla’s NACS (North American Charging Standard), rather than retaining the current CCS (Combined Charging Standard). This means that the seven companies’ vee owners will be able to use some 12,000 of Tesla’s 17,000 public charging stations.

The NACS charging standard

Ford opened the ball with the first announcement. It was followed by Fiskers, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Volvo and Polestar, and finally Rivian. To date, several other manufacturers are also studying the question. It’s possible, therefore, that the list will grow even longer over time.

As recently as mid-August, Tesla announced that it would be marketing a new wall connector, this time equipped with both J1772 and NACS plugs, in order to reach more electric vehicle owners. It’s an involvable adapter included in the terminal via a “magic dock”.

The 7-car alliance

In other news, seven major automakers have announced that they will build a powerful charging network to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in North America. Their aim is to make charging easier, more reliable and more accessible across the continent.

The manufacturers are BMW, General Motors (GM), Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, as well as the Stellantis Group. It’s important to note that this is not a group opposed to the adoption of the Tesla standard, as some companies are involved in both of these big news stories. Rather, it’s a concerted effort to increase the number of charging stations and make charging easier for users.

The company that will emerge from the partnership of seven automakers will proceed with the development of a very powerful recharging network that will count on at least 30,000 charging stations. This is serious business. As for the automakers’ agreement to use Tesla’s charging stations, we’re talking about 12,000 stations that will be made available. Do the math – that’s a lot of charging stations to add to the network!

In order to realize this major project, public and private funds will be required to accelerate the implementation of the network. The stations to be installed will be accessible to all electric vehicles from any manufacturer, provided they use the CCS or NACS charging standard.

The Group of Seven aims to become the largest network of high-speed charging stations in North America.

A huge network of charging stations

Each site will be equipped with several high-power direct current (BRCC) charging stations, making long-distance journeys much easier for electromobilists, especially by reducing recharging times.

The new network will be powered solely by renewable energies, which is very exciting! We also promise that the stations will be located in convenient, easy-to-access places, with awnings where possible. We’ll also make sure that services are close at hand, so that people can get something to eat.

The first stations are scheduled to open in the United States in the summer of 2024. In Canada, this project will come over time, but no date has yet been set. These will be installed in metropolitan areas and along major highways – in short, wherever the majority of people are accustomed to traveling, whether for work or vacation.

Thanks to connected services, it will also be possible to plan reservations, itineraries, payment, etc. It’s a large-scale project that will respond to the growing problem of easy, fast access to bike recharging for many electromobilists.

Needless to say, we can’t wait to see this project come to fruition and be deployed on Canadian soil too! Stay tuned.