Future Toyota And Lexus EVs Will Sport Tesla's NACS Charging Connector
Only days after Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis joined the party, Toyota and Lexus have announced that they, too, will adopt Tesla's North America Charging Standard (NACS). This move will open the door to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers located throughout North America, ultimately giving Lexus and Toyota EV owners access to the same network that a growing number of other automakers have already embraced.
Welcome Toyota and Lexus owners to Superchargers across North America ⚡️
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) October 19, 2023
The move isn't surprising — after all, it was only in late June that SAE International announced its own support for NACS as the EV charging standard. Though some automakers had already backed Tesla's system, the additional support was a huge boon for the standard, and a number of automakers hopped on the bandwagon soon after. The newest names on the list — Toyota and Lexus aside — include BMW, Rolls-Royce, and Mini. The collective plans to roll out its support for NACS in 2025, with existing EVs featuring the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) getting access via an adapter.
What does this mean for Toyota and Lexus EV owners?
Toyota and its luxury brand Lexus will utilize NACS with its battery electric vehicles (BEV) starting in 2025 — though which models will get it at that time remains unclear. The automotive company said that consumers can expect the NACS ports to be included on an "all-new, three-row, battery-electric Toyota SUV" earmarked for production in Kentucky. The NACS adapter for existing BEVs, meanwhile, will made available to owners starting in 2025, as well.
This marks the latest addition to a growing list of major automakers who are all-in on Tesla's charging standard. GM, Ford, Nissan, and Honda are among those names, as are Mercedes, Rivian, and Polestar. With this announcement, all eyes are now on Stellantis, which has thus far dug in its heels and resisted peer pressure, stating in mid-June that it wasn't ready to commit to Tesla's standard — though it had said at the time that it was "evaluating" the possibility of getting on board.