German automaker BMW officially signed an agreement with Tesla for the North American Charging Standard (NACS). Just like most automakers adopting the charging standard, the Group will also begin equipping its next-gen vehicles with the NACS port by 2025.
Agreement details
BMW Group announced that its electric vehicle offerings under the BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce brands will gain access to select Tesla Supercharging stations by early 2025.
In order to take advantage of the fast-charging technology, the Group will start integrating the NACS port to its currently CCS-equipped models in North America.
The NACS adoption decision is crucial to the Group’s effort to give customers wider charging options.
“With six fully electric BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce models now available in the U.S. market, and more to come, it is our top priority to ensure that our drivers have easy access to reliable, fast charging. This agreement is the latest in our longstanding and continued effort to expand charging options for our customers as we continue on the road to electrification.”
Sebastian Mackensen, President & CEO, BMW of North America
The press release further disclosed that BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce will co-develop a system enabling customers to access available Tesla Superchargers on their in-car display. They will also include a new feature to support charging payments via the brands’ mobile app.
NACS adoption progress
Tesla initially introduced NACS as its proprietary charging connector and eventually decided to share it with other automakers, Electrek reported.
The move is part of Tesla’s goal of standardizing electric vehicle charging in North America to accelerate the shift to e-mobility.
Since then, NACS continued to attract many automakers operating in the region. American legacy automaker Ford was the first to announce support for Tesla’s charging standard during a Twitter Spaces session in late May 2023.
General Motors followed suit, further encouraging more automotive brands to consider adopting Tesla’s NACS technology.
For the record, here are the automakers that already signed an agreement with Tesla: Ford (Lincoln), GM (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac), Volvo (Polestar, Lotus), Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Honda (Acura, Afeela), Hyundai (Kia, Genesis), Jaguar/Land Rover, Rivian, Fisker, Aptera and BMW (Mini, Rolls-Royce).
BMW partners with other automakers for a new charging network
BMW Group is among the seven established automakers that previously announced a major joint venture for a new EV charging network in the region.
They aim to deploy at least 30,000 new EV charger stalls in metropolitan areas and main highways to facilitate easy access for all drivers, regardless of their charging port.
The involved automakers plan to finalize the charging network JV as early as this year. However, it still must pass customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
See Also:
- BMW Group’s global BEV sales surged 79.6% in Q3 2023
- BMW to develop a new €100+ battery testing center in Wackersdorf site
- BMW launches EV 2024 BMW i7 M70, the most powerful EV in America till date
- Ford, Honda, and BMW to form a new V2G company to decarbonize the grid
- BMW to spend £600M on its Oxford Mini factory in the UK
Unlike the other automakers adopting Tesla’s NACS technology, BMW seems to skip using adapters to enable its owners to access Superchargers before the actual port integration. Nonetheless, the imminent arrival of BMW Group’s EVs with NACS port will undoubtedly boost its sales and delivery starting in 2025. This new charging technology will attract more customers, given that the Tesla Supercharger network is currently the most competitive in the region.
