According to a document viewed by Reuters and a source, EV charger producers and operators oppose Texas’ intention to enforce Tesla technology in charging stations as “premature.”
Last week, Reuters reported that Texas would require charging companies to include both Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) and the nationally recognized rival Combined Charging Standard (CCS) technology to qualify for a federally funded highway electrification program.
Washington followed suit, and SAE International plans to develop an industry-standard configuration of Tesla’s charging connector in six months or less, bolstering Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s goal of making NACS the national charging technology.
Five electric car charging businesses, including ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT.N) and ABB (ABBN.S), and a sustainable energy association have asked the Texas Transportation Commission for more time to re-engineer and test Tesla’s (TSLA.O) connectors.
Texas’ plan “risks the successful deployment” of the first wave of federal cash, according to a letter delivered to the commission chairman on Thursday, obtained by Reuters.
“Time is needed to properly standardize, test, and certify the safety and interoperability of Tesla connectors across the industry,” they said.
Reuters said several of these organizations will contact the federal authorities soon.
The Texas Department of Transportation, ChargePoint, ABB, and signatories FreeWire, EVBox, and FLO did not immediately respond to Reuters’ comments requests.
The truck stop and convenience shop association, Americans for Affordable Clean Energy, was unreachable.
In recent weeks, Tesla, the leading US EV producer, has won several victories for its charging technology, starting with Ford Motor (F.N) adopting NACS. General Motors (GM.N), Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O), and other vehicle and charging firms followed suit out of fear of losing customers if they just offered CCS.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Tesla’s Superchargers make up 60% of the nation’s fast charges, and the deals will allow non-Tesla consumers to use them.
However, worries remain regarding how well the two billing standards would interact and whether they would boost vendor and consumer expenses.
In the letter, charging businesses said they must expand NACS connector cables, provide acceptable temperature ranges, and secure item certifications.
The companies also stressed the necessity for a strong NACS cable and connector supply chain that meets the criteria.