Charge Port Connectors - CCS vs NACSUpdated 6 months ago

As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to gain popularity, various charging standards and connector types have emerged. Not to be mistaken with NEMA wall outlets, these are the chargers that plug into the car side of the charger. Two common types of EV charge ports are NACS (North American Charging Standard) first introduced by Tesla, and CCS (J1772). Understanding the differences between these connectors is essential for EV owners and charging station operators. 

At the time of this article (November 2023), Tesla is the only OEM to actively use the NACS charge port design. However, almost all other OEMs have committed to transitioning to to this new standard by 2025. There are a few issues with the existing CCS design, including the bulky plug that requires a larger charge port on the side of the vehicle, and the fact that CCS requires separate plugs for AC (Level 1 and 2) and DC (Level 3) charging.

Within the next 4-5 years the general expectation across the industry is that the NACS plug will become standardized. In the meantime, adapters can be used to convert CCS to NACS and vice versa. The most prominent example of this is the Tesla Magic Dock which will enable CCS vehicles to use Tesla's supercharger network.