Libyan, Hyundai and Sterantis may also migrate to Tesla's charging port
Rivian plans to adopt Tesla's EV charging port, known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS), and Hyundai and Sterantis may do the same.
"Today we signed an agreement with Tesla to adopt the North American Charging Standard," Rivian announced on Twitter on Tuesday. 'This will allow Livian vehicles to be charged at Tesla's Supercharger network throughout the U.S. and Canada. It will be available as early as spring 2024."
The automaker did not discuss details of the rollout. Rivian currently uses the Combined Charging Standard (CCS), so existing Rivian vehicle owners will need an adapter to charge at stations with Tesla ports. Livian did not say whether future vehicles will incorporate Tesla ports or whether CCS will be discontinued in the future.
Rivian has been working on its own charging network, and in 2021 announced plans to install more than 3,500 DC fast chargers and 10,000 Level 2 AC chargers in over 600 locations by 2023. These would be paired with Tesla's Supercharger network, which was to be installed near remote outdoor spots that Rivian's customers were expected to frequent.
Also on Tuesday, Automotive News reported that Hyundai is considering using Tesla charging ports for future EVs. According to the same report, Hyundai CEO Jae-Hoon Chang said the main consideration is what would be most beneficial to customers. Chang said that Hyundai's EVs may not be able to charge at the same power rates at Tesla's Supercharger stations as are currently possible at some CCS stations, and that Hyundai will discuss this with Tesla.
In a statement to Reuters released last week, Sterantis said it is also evaluating Tesla's connector.
"We continue to evaluate the NACS standard and look forward to discussing it further," the automaker said.
The shift to Tesla charging ports and away from CCS was triggered by Ford's announcement last month that it will incorporate Tesla compatibility in its next-generation EVs starting in 2025. Ford plans to eliminate CCS in the U.S. as it introduces new EVs
GM also aims to allow existing EV owners access to its Supercharger network in 2024, and will begin designing EVs with Tesla connectors in 2025 The company plans to begin.