Volvo to adopt NACS port, partners with Tesla for Supercharger access

Volvo is the next automaker to announce that it’s signed an agreement with Tesla with will allow its current and future electric vehicles use of the Supercharger network. Plus, just like Ford and GM, Volvo says its new EVs from 2025 on will be equipped with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port instead of the Combined Charging System (CCS) port.

This agreement makes Volvo the first European automaker to adopt Tesla’s charge port and gain access to the 12,000-plus Superchargers across the U.S. Volvo says that owners of its EVs will be able to access Superchargers as early as the first half of 2024 with an adapter. For Volvo EVs built with the NACS port, Volvo says those vehicles will still be capable of charging on CCS chargers with an adapter provided by Volvo.

Volvo didn’t explicitly say that the Supercharger network would be integrated into its cars’ native navigation system (which is just Google Maps these days), but it did say that folks will be able to use the Volvo Cars app to do so. Via the app, you’ll be able to locate chargers, get real-time availability info and pay for charging sessions.

“As part of our journey to becoming fully electric by 2030, we want to make life with an electric car as easy as possible,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo CEO. “One major inhibitor to more people making the shift to electric driving – a key step in making transportation more sustainable – is access to easy and convenient charging infrastructure. Today, with this agreement, we’re taking a major step to remove this threshold for Volvo drivers in the United States, Canada and Mexico.”

Stay tuned, as it’s only a matter of time until more and more automakers make a similar decision as Ford, GM and Volvo just made.

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