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Comment by breput | Hacker News Reader

There are already a handful of Superchargers that have a CCS adapter built in[0]. Thanks to US federal money, some locations are already set up to charge both Tesla/NACS cars as well as CCS vehicles[1]. These will expand, but if either Hyundai and/or GM now switches to NACS, CCS is dead in the USA.

The physical layer is easy - mostly just plastic and metal contacts, as well as minor electrical differences. The reliability and payment layer is where Tesla has way outperformed and it will be interesting to see if Ford can support that with their "Ford Pay" system.

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=240R6RhLGj0

[1] https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/ev-chargers/how-well-do...

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You are correct though it's slightly more complicated than swapping out the sockets. That's enough to get NACS compatibility, but may not be sufficient for proper compatibility with Tesla's Supercharger network. It assumes the charging port is physically located on the rear left corner (or front right corner) of the vehicle.

If the charging port is on the rear right (or front left) corner, they won't line up correctly with Tesla's stalls.

> If the charging port is on the rear right (or front left) corner, they won't line up correctly with Tesla's stalls.

So what? It's up to Tesla to build better chargers. Here's a start:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/19/23689247/tesla-v4-superch...

Tesla are not holding a gun to any manufacturer's head here. What attracts automakers to NACS is the ability to offer their customers Tesla's existing Supercharger network. Fine. Compatibility with that existing network means ensuring that the socket on the vehicle is within reach of cables on existing stalls.

If they only want compatibility with V4 superchargers, they can stick with CCS1 and let their customers connect through the integrated adaptor.

The practical reality is charging with other EV brands on Tesla chargers is already happening regardless of where the charge port is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y33AArvMUQ

Don't worry about it.

I assure you I'm not worried about it. I'm not expressing a concern. I'm making an observation about what will obviously happen. Any automaker interested in adopting NACS is going to make sure their vehicle works seamlessly with existing superchargers. If that means moving the charge port from left to right (or right to left) then of course they will do it. It's not a big deal.

Not only that, but the NACS port is smaller, the overall experience is better, and it’s probably cheaper to make, too. Aptera embraced it as well, in part because their smaller vehicle really benefits from the compact design.

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