Honda switches EV charging plugs

author: FutureCar Staff    

Honda has joined the growing list of automakers that are making a switch from the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) port to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for fast-charging their electric vehicles. This trend started in May with Ford, and now Honda has followed suit. The NACS uses a plug design by Tesla.

One significant aspect of this switch is that Honda has secured access for its customers to use Tesla's Supercharger network. This network is much more extensive and reliable than the CCS fast chargers in North America. However, it is important to note that the reliability of the Supercharger network is largely due to the tightly integrated Tesla ecosystem, and it remains uncertain how third-party vehicles will experience the charging process.

It is worth mentioning that some vehicles, including Honda EVs, will require a CCS-to-NACS adapter to use the NACS ports. All automakers have followed a similar pattern, with NACS ports only being available on cars manufactured from 2025 onwards. EVs produced before this date will need adapters, which are expected to be available in 2024.

For now, the upcoming Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX models, set to be released next year, will utilize CCS for fast-charging during their initial model years. However, Honda plans to introduce another EV in the US in 2025, which will feature NACS ports from the beginning. This EV will be internally designed by Honda and will not share a platform with General Motors.

While Tesla Superchargers will be an option for Honda EVs, Honda is also part of a group of seven automakers that announced plans to build a new network of 30,000 DC fast chargers across North America. These chargers will support both CCS and NACS plugs and are expected to offer higher reliability compared to the current Electrify America charging network.

FutureCar Staff