Why Every Automaker Adopted Tesla's NACS Charging Standard: The Full Story | Taha Abbasi

In one of the most remarkable standardization victories in automotive history, Tesla’s NACS connector has become the North American charging standard — adopted by every major automaker. Taha Abbasi tells the full story of how a proprietary Tesla connector conquered an industry that initially rejected it.

The Charging Wars: CCS vs NACS

For years, the EV industry was split. Tesla used its proprietary connector (now called NACS). Everyone else used CCS (Combined Charging System), backed by SAE International and supported by legacy automakers. As Taha Abbasi recalls, CCS was supposed to be the universal standard — it had the backing of GM, Ford, BMW, and the standards organizations. NACS was the rebel.

How Tesla Won

Tesla won with execution, not lobbying. The Supercharger network was the most reliable, most widespread, and most user-friendly charging network in North America. NACS connectors were smaller, lighter, and easier to use than CCS. When Ford announced NACS adoption in May 2023, it triggered a domino effect. Within months, GM, Rivian, Lucid, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, and every other major automaker followed. Taha Abbasi calls this “the most significant infrastructure standardization since USB.”

What Made It Inevitable

The math was simple. Tesla had 60%+ of the US EV charging network. Adopting NACS gave other automakers’ customers access to 15,000+ Supercharger locations. The alternative — building a competing CCS network of equal size — would cost billions and take years. As Taha Abbasi notes, Tesla’s open-source approach (sharing NACS freely) made the decision easy: adopt the better standard and gain immediate network access.

Implications for Tesla

More EVs using Superchargers means more charging revenue. Government subsidies for universal chargers (now NACS-compatible) fund Tesla’s expansion. And the charging experience becomes a Tesla advertisement — non-Tesla owners experience Tesla’s superior software and reliability at every charge. Taha Abbasi sees this as Tesla’s most underappreciated competitive advantage: they didn’t just win the charging war, they turned former competitors into revenue sources.

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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com