Hyundai and Kia say that they’re adopting North American Charging Standard ports for their electric vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, which will give the vehicles access to thousands of Tesla Superchargers across the two countries and Mexico.
Tesla’s Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because it has more direct current fast-charging plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors.
Hyundai Motor North America said Thursday that new Hyundai electric vehicles in the U.S. will come with the NACS port starting in 2024’s fourth quarter. It will begin in Canada in the first half of 2025. Hyundai’s luxury brand, Genesis, will also start using the NACS ports.
Kia said it plans to build the NACS port into new electric vehicles sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, also in the fourth quarter of next year.
“Having this kind of sprawling access to chargers will no doubt boost customer satisfaction, elevate the EV ownership experience, and enable drivers to reach more destinations across the continent on electricity,” Seungkyu (Sean) Yoon, president & CEO, Kia North America and Kia America, said in a statement.
The Tesla network will be able to support the charging speeds on Hyundai’s advanced Electric-Global Modular Platform vehicles, including IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 and the upcoming IONIQ 7.
Tesla’s electric vehicle plug has steadily moved closer to becoming the industry standard. In June SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, said that it would set performance standards for Tesla’s electric vehicle charging cords. The move by the key U.S. automotive industry organization came just weeks after Ford, General Motors and Rivian said they would join Tesla’s large Supercharger network and adopt its NACS connector in new versions of their electric vehicles. Volvo Cars has also signed a deal with Tesla to join its charging network.
“This new alliance will provide Hyundai EV owners confidence in their ability to conveniently charge their vehicles and complements our joint venture company to create a new, high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 stations across North America,” José Muñoz, president and global Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor Co. and president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America, said in a statement.
Owners of existing and future Hyundai electric vehicles with the current combined charging system will have access to the Tesla Supercharging Network starting in the first quarter of 2025. Hyundai will offer an adapter to these customers and will also make adapters available to charge NACS-equipped vehicles at combined charging system chargers.
Kia expects to have adapters available at its dealers, also in 2025’s first quarter.
The partnership with Tesla adds to Hyundai’s network expansion efforts. The company previously announced that it was teaming with six global automakers to develop a new, highpowered North American charging network with at least 30,000 chargers. The first U.S. stations in that new network are targeted to open in the summer of 2024, and in Canada at a later date.
