CNA – A group of electric vehicles (EVs) charger firms and operators is pushing back against Texas’ in the United States (US) plan to mandate the inclusion of Tesla technology in charging stations, saying it is “premature” according to a document seen by a news agency and a source aware of the matter.
It was reported last week that Texas would require charging companies to include both Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) as well as the nationally recognised rival Combined Charging Standard (CCS) technology to be eligible for a state programme to electrify highways using federal dollars.
Washington followed suit, and standards organisation SAE International has said it aims to make an industry standard configuration of Tesla’s charging connector in six months or less, adding momentum to Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s hope of making NACS the country’s official charging technology.
But five electric vehicle charging companies, including operator ChargePoint Holdings and manufacturer ABB, and a clean energy association have written to the Texas Transportation Commission, calling for more time to re-engineer and test Tesla’s connectors.
Texas’ plan “risks the successful deployment” of the first phase of federal funds being rolled out, they said in the letter sent to the chairman of the commission.
“Time is needed to properly standardise, test, and certify the safety and interoperability of Tesla connectors across the industry,” they said.
Tesla, the dominant EV maker in the US, has scored a string of victories for its charging technology in recent weeks, starting with Ford Motor saying it would adopt NACS.
