The move comes as several automakers adopt the NACS as standard.

Texas Requires State-Funded EV Charging Stations to Include Tesla’s NACS Connector

Sanjay PatilJune 21, 23 Automobiles, EV, Tesla, Texas

Texas has announced that it will mandate state-funded charging stations for electric vehicles to include a Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, as automakers like Ford, GM, and Rivian are transitioning towards NACS and moving away from the Combined Charging System (CCS).

The Texas Department of Transportation told Reuters that automakers’ move to NACS prompted electric vehicle charging companies to require NACS connectors if they want to participate in the state’s program, which involves federal funding. State DC fast chargers must still have a CCS connector to receive federal dollars through the program.

The US Department of Transportation has earmarked up to $7.5 billion in funding for fast charging stations along highways. It said EV charging companies would have to include a CCS connector, and now Texas is adding another requirement. States are free to add additional conditions as long as they follow federal rules.

Tesla said last year that it would open-source NACS to encourage other automakers to adopt it. Tesla has the largest share of EV charging infrastructure in the United States — it claims its more than 21,000 Supercharger locations represent about 60 percent of the country’s fast charging stations.

In the past few weeks, GM and Ford announced that they will offer owners of their vehicles (currently using CCS) a NACS adapter before fully implementing this standard in future models. Rivian followed suit with a similar announcement this week. Electric vehicle charging companies such as ChargePoint and EVgo have said they are considering adding NACS to their charging stations.

As Reuters points out, the Texas move could prompt other states to pressure EV charging companies to include the NACS connector. According to the report, states including California, Michigan and Iowa are reviewing the state of the charging market, while at least one other is said to be considering incentivizing companies to include a NACS port.