NACS cables now being installed at RAN stations

[Zoidz]

I really hope a NACS retrofit is available someday. I don't expect that anytime soon -- but someday.

I think it's hard to estimate what the actual demand would be for a retrofit. Those of us who are already installed to charge at home, and use that as the primary charge location, would have little reason to convert.

Sponsored

 

[theonetruestripes]

Those of us who are already installed to charge at home, and use that as the primary charge location, would have little reason to convert.

NACS is somewhat self aligning, it is way easier to just get kind of close with NACS and have it work then properly line up J1772.

I would definitely swap my home charger back to NACS, and pay say $500 to upgrade my gen2 to the gen2.1 (i.e. NACS hole).

I would not pay $2000 for it. I would grumble about $1000, but ultimately I expect I would do it.

 

[defcon888]

Having a NACS and a CCS at the same station would be convienent but there would be someone using the NACS and a knucklehead would pull in beside them and try to plug in the CCS1. It would probably be easy to put an internal switch that would deactivate the one NOT being use.

 

[Zoidz]

There's another aspect that I forgot to mention that makes it unlikely or expensive. NACs uses the same pins on the connector for both Level 2 (AC) charging and Level 3 (DC) charging. Internal to the vehicle, the power type is detected and switched to the proper AC or DC charging circuitry. J1772 is different - AC is on one set of the upper pins, DC is on the lower set of pins. AC vs DC is a hardwired configuration. To retro NACS to a Gen 1, it would require additional hardware to switch the power to the proper AC or DC charging circuit inside the Gen 1.

 

[pricedm]

There's another aspect that I forgot to mention that makes it unlikely or expensive. NACs uses the same pins on the connector for both Level 2 (AC) charging and Level 3 (DC) charging. Internal to the vehicle, the power type is detected and switched to the proper AC or DC charging circuitry. J1772 is different - AC is on one set of the upper pins, DC is on the lower set of pins. AC vs DC is a hardwired configuration. To retro NACS to a Gen 1, it would require additional hardware to switch the power to the proper AC or DC charging circuit inside the Gen 1.

Yes, excellent explanation of why NACS is a more elegant, simple, and effective solution.

 

[SANZC02]

Yes, excellent explanation of why NACS is a more elegant, simple, and effective solution.

Curious why you say simple? NACS is actually more complicated as it requires circuitry to determine the source of the incoming power to properly route it for the charge. May look simpler but does require an additional failure point in the implementation.

 

[CharonPDX]

Having a NACS and a CCS at the same station would be convienent but there would be someone using the NACS and a knucklehead would pull in beside them and try to plug in the CCS1. It would probably be easy to put an internal switch that would deactivate the one NOT being use.

That's what EA does at their older dispensers. It's pretty simple. Theirs have displays that make it clear the other cable won't work, though.

 

[pricedm]

Curious why you say simple? NACS is actually more complicated as it requires circuitry to determine the source of the incoming power to properly route it for the charge. May look simpler but does require an additional failure point in the implementation.

More simple for users! And that’s what matters for user adoption.
For example, I have two adapters for my R1T to use NACS: one for DC and one for AC.

 

[SANZC02]

More simple for users! And that’s what matters for user adoption.
For example, I have two adapters for my R1T to use NACS: one for DC and one for AC.

You also need two if you have a NACS port on your vehicle, a CCS to NACS for DC and a J1772 to NACS FOR AC.

I will grant that it is easier to see the difference between the 2 going to NACS but it still requires separate adapters.

 

[Southern R1S]

The vast majority of EV owners are going to be carrying adapters for the foreseeable future (5-10 years if I were guessing), so I personally don't care at all which port my truck has native (especially given the free NACS adapter Rivian provided).

There are just too many public Level 2 chargers out there that are J1772 to convince me that 100% NACS only will be viable in the immediate future, but the same thing holds true there -- if you're on native NACS you just need to carry a simple adapter to accept J1772.

 

[KootenayEV]

I read this change as Rivian trying to capture some of the Tesla drivers out there in locations where there isn't a SC. Many T drivers do not carry any kind of adapter, so adding NACS cables opens up RAN to those drivers. Since there is an order of magnitude more Tesla EVs out there, probably for the next several years, it makes sense. I already carry a NACS adapter so makes no difference to me in my 2023 R1T.

 

[emoore]

I read this change as Rivian trying to capture some of the Tesla drivers out there in locations where there isn't a SC. Many T drivers do not carry any kind of adapter, so adding NACS cables opens up RAN to those drivers. Since there is an order of magnitude more Tesla EVs out there, probably for the next several years, it makes sense. I already carry a NACS adapter so makes no difference to me in my 2023 R1T.

Well that might be part of it but I think it’s mostly due to Rivian swapping ports to the NACS one starting next year on all their vehicles.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Yes, excellent explanation of why NACS is a more elegant, simple, and effective solution.

It's bad engineering to share equipment/wiring between different power systems. That's why SAE didn't want to do it with the original specification.

More simple for users! And that’s what matters for user adoption.
For example, I have two adapters for my R1T to use NACS: one for DC and one for AC.

Is this not the identical situation in reverse???

https://rivian.com/gear-shop/p/j1772-ac-adapter

https://rivian.com/gear-shop/p/combo-ccs1-dc-adapter

 

[Dark-Fx]

You also need two if you have a NACS port on your vehicle, a CCS to NACS for DC and a J1772 to NACS FOR AC.

I will grant that it is easier to see the difference between the 2 going to NACS but it still requires separate adapters.

NACS is also going to increase the confusion of people not understanding the difference between level 2 and DC charging with the connectors all being identical.

Sponsored