Nissan is adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) starting in 2025, the first Japanese automaker to make the move.
Nissan EVs will use Tesla NACS in a first for Japan
Starting next year, Nissan will provide a NACS charging adopter for its first electric SUV, the Ariya, enabling drivers to access Tesla’s Supercharge network.
The following year Nissan will begin offering EVs for the first time in the US and Canada with a NACS charging port.
Nissan’s senior vice president and chairperson of Nissan Americas, Jérémie Papin, commented on the landmark agreement, saying:
Adopting the NACS standard underlines Nissan’s commitment to making electric mobility even more accessible as we follow our Ambition 2030 long-term vision of greater electrification.
Papin says the automaker is “happy to provide access to thousands more fast chargers for Nissan EV drivers.” Tesla has roughly 17,000 Superchargers across the US, giving Nissan EV owners access to one of the nation’s most expansive, reliable networks.
Following Ford and GM’s announcement to work with Tesla and adopt NACS, much of the US industry has moved in that direction.
Major charging station companies (Blink, Electrify America, etc.), EV startups (Rivian, Polestar), German automakers (Mercedes-Benz), and more have all announced they will use Tesla’s NACS connector, solidifying its position as the standard connector in North America.
Nissan is currently retooling its Canton, Mississippi, assembly plant to become its “North American electrification hub,” including EV manufacturing a tech center over the next several years.
The automaker plans to introduce two new electric vehicles to be assembled at the facility beginning in late 2025. According to reports, the first models will be a pair of electric sedans, followed by a couple of electric crossovers in 2026. The new models will help Nissan achieve its goal of 40% EV sales in the US by 2030.
City Dwellers’s Take
Good for Nissan for taking the initiative and becoming the first Japanese automaker to go with Tesla’s NACS connector.
Japanese automakers, including Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and several others, have fallen behind in the market’s transition to electric vehicles. In fact, Mitsubishi Motors revealed it was suspending its business in China last week because it can’t keep up in the world’s largest EV market.
Once viewed as a pioneer in the EV market, Nissan has fallen behind as the industry has quickly caught up with nearly every automaker introducing their own all-electric car.
After introducing the LEAF in 2010, it took over a decade for Nissan to release its second purely electric model. Nissan began selling the Ariya electric SUV last year, and it’s already outselling the LEAF through the first half of 2023.
By adopting Tesla’s NACS, Nissan buyers will now have the convenience of thousands of additional fast chargers to choose from while planning long-distance travel.
Other Japanese automakers, including Toyota and Honda, have yet to commit. Perhaps Nissan’s agreement will spark some urgency.
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