Electric vehicle charging in North America is moving toward a shared connector. Tesla's NACS connector, also published as SAE J3400, is the design that many other automakers have announced plans to adopt. If you are buying a home charger now, you may wonder whether the change affects your choice. This article explains what the transition means in practice and how to decide.
What is changing
Most electric vehicles sold in North America today use the J1772 for AC charging. Many automakers have announced plans to add NACS ports to future vehicles, and the timing varies by maker and model. Existing vehicles keep the connector they were built with. A J1772 car does not become a NACS car, and a home charger you install today does not stop working because a new connector appears on the market.
What does not change
The connector is only the plug at the end of the cable. The wiring rules are the same whichever connector you choose. Level 2 charging runs on a 240-volt circuit. A 40 amp plug-in charger needs a 50 amp circuit and a NEMA 14-50 outlet. A 48 amp charger needs a 60 amp circuit and must be hardwired by a licensed electrician. Local permits and inspection may apply. The car's onboard charger still sets the AC speed limit, so the connector does not change how fast a given car charges.
How to decide
Start with the car you drive now and the one you expect to drive next. If your next vehicle is likely to have a NACS inlet, a NACS charger matches it directly. If you drive a J1772 vehicle and do not plan to change, a J1772 charger is the straightforward choice. In a household with vehicles that use different connectors, you have two options. You can install one charger and use an adapter for the other vehicle, or you can plan for a charger that matches each car over time. Read the article on adapters before relying on one for daily charging.
Think about the life of the installation
A home charger installation is a long-term project. The circuit, outlet, or hardwired connection may remain in place well after the car it was first bought for is gone. When you choose the connector, consider both the car you have today and the one you may own next. Check the warranty terms of the charger you pick as well. EVIQO chargers include a 3-year warranty, and a 4-year extended warranty is available for an additional charge.
How this applies to EVIQO chargers
EVIQO offers two NACS chargers: a 48 amp hardwired model rated at 11.5 kW, which adds about 46 miles of range per hour of charging, and a 40 amp NEMA 14-50 plug-in model rated at 9.6 kW, which adds about 38 miles per hour. EVIQO also offers three J1772 options for vehicles that use that connector. All five chargers are 240-volt Level 2 units with a 25 ft cable and a 3-year warranty. If your next car uses NACS, the NACS models match it directly. If you are not sure yet, the J1772 models match the connector used by most non-Tesla vehicles in North America.