Volvo Makes the Change, Announces Switch To NACS And Access To Tesla Supercharger Network

Another day, another EV manufacturer switches away from CCS.

Following GM, Ford, Rivivan, and Aptera, Volvo announces that it too will be switching to NACS. NACS, or North American Charging Standard, was formerly known as Tesla’s proprietary plug shape. With this deal, Volvo vehicles will now have access to the more than 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stalls across the US and Canada.

“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 Volvo CEO Jim Rowan. Thus, the brand sought to quickly add a huge number of DC fast charging stations to its repertoire, via the Tesla Supercharging network. The NACS port won’t officially be integrated natively into Volvo products until 2025, but access to the Supercharging network will start in 2024, via an adapter. Curiously, the Volvo Cars App will soon be able to find and navigate to Tesla Superchargers.

Volvo’s sister company Polestar hasn’t announced its intention to switch to NACS. However, given that Volvo and Polestar are basically attached at the hip, we expect that brand to follow shortly. The two brands’ EV platforms and electronics are deeply intertwined, and both are owned by the same parent company.

If Volvo drivers are concerned that an en masse shift to NACS could abandon the ability to use the already existing CCS infrastructure, then don’t fear. Volvo says it will give Volvo drivers an adapter that will allow its NACS-integrated cars to use the CCS charging infrastructure.

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