Polestar drivers are gaining access to Tesla’s Supercharger network. Swedish EV maker Polestar (PSNY) announced Thursday it’s officially adopting Tesla’s NACS connector.
Polestar EVs to be equipped with Tesla’s NACS from 2025
Starting in 2025, new Polestar vehicles sold in North America will feature Tesla’s NACS charging port as standard. Meanwhile, adapters are expected to roll out in mid-2024 to help existing Polestar drivers access the network.
Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, commented on the new agreement with Tesla, explaining:
This is a great win for our North American customers! We salute the pioneering work Tesla has done to speed up the adoption and increase the popularity of electric vehicles, and it’s great to see the Supercharger network being made available in this way. With 12,000 charging points today, a number that will only keep growing, this move will greatly increase the rate of EV adoption in a key automotive region.
The move comes a day after Volvo, Polestar’s performance partner (both under the Geely umbrella of auto brands), revealed it would also be moving to adopt the connector.
After Ford’s CEO Jim Farley first made the announcement that Ford EV drivers would have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, a string of automakers have followed suit, including General Motors, Rivian, and now Volvo and Polestar.
Ford and GM both aim to have adapter availability next year, Rivian in spring 2024, and Volvo in the first half of the year.
Polestar will include a CSS adapter for future NACS-equipped EV models to maintain compatibility and give owners options.
After delivering over 51K vehicles last year, Polestar expects another 16% to 46% growth (60K to 70K deliveries) this year as it gears up to launch its first electric SUV, the Polestar 3, in Q1 2024.
Electrek’s Take
If it wasn’t already clear that NACS is on its way to becoming the standard connector in North America, this week solidified it.
At this point, it seems inevitable that nearly all automakers will adopt Tesla’s NACS in North America. GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, explained in an interview this week, “Anytime you make a decision from a customer perspective, and you’re not choosing the most cost-effective, better solution, you do that at your own peril.”
Drivers will have access to 12,000 durable and reliable charging ports at a lower cost. Why wouldn’t automakers make the transition? Companies that fail to make the switch at this point will run the risk of falling further behind while having customers leave for other brands offering more convenient experiences.
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