SAE’s NACS certification is ready, and it’ll fix every EV charging problem at once
SAE has followed through on its plan to finish its NACS certification by the end of the year, and the NACS standard is now ready to go. And the new standard promises to solve a lot of charging problems in one fell swoop.
Tesla released specifications of its charging connector in November 2022. It called it the “North American Charging Standard,” which was somewhat of an absurd name at the time, given that Tesla was the only company using it.
However, since Tesla is a majority of the US EV market, Tesla’s argument was that most of the cars and most of the DC charging stations in America already used Tesla’s connector, so it should be considered a de facto standard anyway.
For a few months not many people took this seriously, until Ford shook up the industry by announcing it would adopt the NACS plug on upcoming vehicles. Soon after, GM made the same move, and now basically everyone else has.
This led SAE, the professional engineering organization which develops industry standards, to take up the flag of creating a real, independent standard that is no longer in the hands of Tesla. This is an important move because many governments and companies would understandably have an issue with a single company having control over a standard that, at this point, it seems like everyone is planning to use.
How NACS will solve several EV charging problems at once
We had another chat with Rodney McGee, Ph.D., of the University of Delaware, who chaired SAE’s NACS task force, and told us that the new standard will soon be announced by the White House. He was understandably excited about the standard getting finished so quickly, and told us how NACS is going to solve a lot of problems with EV charging all at the same time.
In particular, it should make charging installation cheaper for commercial entities, leading to cheaper and easier charging for businesses (including, potentially, for large apartment buildings); make charging more interoperable between commercial and personal vehicles; and unlock new possibilities for street charging for electric vehicles.
The main reason for this is the standard is preserving NACS’ support for 277 volts, as opposed to the 208-240 voltage of J1772. This simple change unlocks a cascade of benefits that should smooth out several charging problems.
Why does this matter? 277V is one phase of a three-phase 480V supply, which is the form that most commercial utility connections come in (particularly those that support DC chargers). Which means that secondary step-down transformers are no longer necessary for AC chargers, making EV charging installations cheaper and more efficient.
When you make EV charging installations cheaper and easier for businesses, this means more chargers at workplaces, giving people who can’t charge at home another option. It means more opportunity charging at any other place you might happen to park, and more opportunity charging means more EVs plugged in at any given time which means more battery capacity available on the grid in a potential V2G future.
Saving businesses money is all well and good, but the most important point here is that by making commercial installations cheaper, this means that mixed-use apartment buildings can more easily install banks of EV chargers, without needing big transformer rooms to further step down voltages. And that means that more people will be opened up to the convenience of having a charger at the place where their car spends the most time.
The news is even good for people who don’t have a parking spot – city-dwellers who use street parking. The NACS standard includes a provision that would enable the installation of chargers in lampposts, something that we’ve seen trials of in London. There have been similar efforts in the US, but those are subpar because the J1772 standard requires a permanently-attached cable, which means that streetside cables get dropped, broken, laid around, and otherwise abused.
The new NACS standard instead uses a standardized receptacle – which is in fact the same one used in the EU and China – which can be plugged into with a ~$100-200 carry-along cable that EV drivers can keep in their car (and the receptacle does have a locking mechanism). Making each driver responsible for their own cable makes maintenance easier in public spaces where otherwise, nobody’s really willing to take ownership of ensuring cables don’t get abused.
NACS also allows AC and DC through the same connector, unlike J1772. CCS is similar to the J1772 plug, but with an additional two pins on the bottom, so the connectors aren’t identical. With NACS, the connectors are identical for both types of charging.
Another potential upside here involves medium and heavy duty vehicles, which could charge at up to 52kW AC from the same receptacle as a light duty vehicle can charge at 20kW, by using 3 phases or 1 phase respectively. 20kW can be a bit on the low side for some larger vehicles – school buses and the like – so allowing those vehicles to charge at up to 52kW from the same place light duty can charge at 20kW would be a big boon as well.
And finally, all of these boons add together to a world where it’s easier to install and maintain chargers, and easier for everyone to be using those chargers wherever they’re parked, which means more cars plugged in at any given time. And if everyone is plugged in all the time, that means more capacity available for a potential vehicle-to-grid future. If V2G ever takes off, we will want to have as many cars plugged in as possible, because more cars plugged in means more capacity available for the grid. And that means making AC infrastructure cheap, which is what 277V support and carry-along cables enable.
There is one potential problem on the horizon, though: California and the US federal government (through NEVI) have both put a lot of money into charging station deployment, and the original intent of that money was to install roadside DC chargers that are as compatible as possible. So now, will those rules fully embrace NACS and allow the money to be used to install the new standard, or will they require CCS-compatible deployments so as not to leave an installed base of vehicles behind, even though CCS is now, effectively, a dead standard? (one compromise option being discussed is to require CCS for DC chargers, but throw full weight behind NACS for AC chargers)
This decision point is also a little ironic, since NACS’ existence seems to have been spurred on by NEVI in the first place. When the government offered billions of dollars to companies that install chargers with the restriction that those chargers be useable with multiple vehicles, that’s what got Tesla to finally offer a “standard.” At the time, it wasn’t really a standard because only Tesla was using it, and it was somewhat of a last-ditch effort to save the Tesla connector. Then, when Ford decided to use NACS, that’s what started all the others dominos falling. Now, NACS is dominant, but it only happened because of NEVI in the first place – and NEVI now has the difficult decision over whether to embrace the (positive) situation it caused, even if it will give some of the installed base an effective “use-by” date as a shift to NACS will inevitably mean fewer CCS/J1772 chargers over time.
Electrek’s Take
We’re actually pretty amazed that this standardization process finished already. SAE intended to finish by the end of the year, but standards can take a long time and require a lot of cooperation from organizations with differing motivations.
Part of why this process could be finished so quickly is because we’re now further into the world’s electrification journey, and auto manufacturers, many of whom now have departments getting into the charging business, can see the benefit of making charger installations cheaper.
And while we may have been a little hyperbolic in the title, this really does fix one of the few real problems with electric cars right now. There are a lot of perceived problems with EVs which rely on misconceptions, but one that isn’t a misconception is that there are bigger hurdles to owning an EV for people who don’t have a garage.
With cheaper AC charger installation benefits allowing better charging options for workplace, garage and street parking, this all adds up to a win for environmental justice. It makes EV charging easier for renters, or for people who otherwise do not have access to their own garage/off-street parking where they can install a charger. And that means more EVs in lower-income communities, and cleaner air too.
This has been a problem for a long time, and some piecemeal solutions have been proposed and are in the works, but this standard should help make that problem more solvable.
Ironically, the one thing the standard doesn’t solve is the problem we pointed out in the headline of our previous article on this – Plug & Charge. That article laid out how authentication issues are holding Plug & Charge back from being as good as it could be in the US, and unfortunately the SAE NACS standard (which it calls J3400) won’t solve that. However, work is ongoing on a solution for that problem, in a separate proceeding, and it seems like the NACS changeover may be the impetus needed to get it solved once and for all.
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From the ashes of Elon Musk’s decision to fire the whole Supercharger team last year, a new company has risen: Hubber, which will take its founders’ expertise at setting up Tesla Superchargers and apply that to addressing the lack of high-speed urban charging for taxis and other commercial vehicles.
Last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk suddenly fired the entire charging department, in what is one of the more chaotic decisions he’s made yet.
In the immediate aftermath of this decision, a lot of questions were asked around the industry – and a lot of companies started snatching up talent from the best EV charging team in the world.
Or, alternately, some of that talent went to form their own companies. That’s the case for Harry Fox, Connor Selwood and Hugh Leckie, who met at Tesla and together oversaw the rollout of 100 Supercharger sites with 1,200 total chargers across the UK & Ireland. And after the shakeup of the Supercharger team, they set off to charge a new path of their own.
The three formed Hubber, which pitches itself as a new type of EV charging company, focused on solving “the urban charging gap.”
Hubber describes itself as “the UK’s leading specialist in urban high-powered EV charging, addressing one of the most urgent constraints in the energy transition: the shortage of fast, reliable charging in major cities.” It “acquires and develops prime urban sites into large-scale charging hubs, combining deep grid-connection know-how with a proven ability to deliver complex infrastructure at speed”.
A large amount of the traffic in UK cities is taken up by taxis and last-mile, and these vehicles tend to see higher utilization than commuter cars, so they need to charge more often. Hubber says that taxis charge five times as often as a private vehicle, which means they’ll need more access to fast EV charging.
This is further exacerbated in urban environments, where EVs might not park in a place they can charge. Lots of urban homes don’t have garages, and while there are street EV chargers available in London, they’re not everywhere yet. So convenient fast charging is essential.
And the needs for commercial drivers are different than those of other commuters. While nicely-appointed charging plazas (like Rove’s “full service” EV charger in Santa Ana, CA) are great for the average consumer, commercial EV drivers put more of a premium on speed and affordability, and don’t mind if a site is a little further off of a main thoroughfare, or not as close to food or shopping as other drivers might want.
So Hubber is looking at sites that other developers might pass over – like old warehouses or gas stations – and figuring out how to turn them into an ideal site for high-throughput charging.
With its cofounders’ experience at Tesla, Hubber will buy sites, transform them into a charger-ready location, and essentially provide the dream location that they would have liked to see during the site selection processes they went through in their previous jobs.
The charging hubs could still have some amenities, like restrooms and vending machines, of the type that would be useful for taxi or ride-hailing drivers to grab during a quick stop. But the main focus would be on getting people in and out and back on the road.
Here’s a rendering of what a potential site might look like. In this sample location, there would be room for light-duty vehicles up front, with an area for larger last-mile delivery vehicles with larger charging bays. A small covered area could provide restrooms and vending, and another portion of the site could be dedicated to transformers, batteries and the like.
Hubber is also thinking ahead to a possible autonomous future, where driverless ride-hailing vehicles like those from Waymo could have a place to charge. Although given that there aren’t currently great solutions for autonomous charging, an attendant might have to be involved for the foreseeable future.
The company would also like to expand beyond the UK and Ireland, but they’re sticking to home base for the time being. After all, things are just getting off the ground – but the £60 million (~$81m) investment that Hubber just secured is certainly a big boost towards getting the project moving.
Speaking of projects, Hubber’s first facility is opening this coming week, on August 20th. The site is at Forest Hill in South London, near Forest Hill Station. It will have 12 EV charging bays, with 3 150kW and 3 300kW dual-head chargers. The site will be operated by RAW charging, which will offer free fast charging for its first week of operation.
Electrek’s Take
As we said at the time, firing the whole Supercharger team was a dumb decision. It was immediately obvious to everyone in the industry that it was a dumb decision, and Tesla did eventually relent and rehire some of the fired workers, but the damage was done – and not just for the charging team, but morale was made low throughout the organization.
The silver lining, at least for the rest of the industry, is that it allowed this talent to be distributed around to other companies. This isn’t beneficial for Tesla and did cause chaos which has likely affected the rollout of NACS, slowed EV charging site development in the US, and so on, but it has been beneficial for other companies who managed to snatch up talent.
Or, for companies like Hubber, which were formed by that talent.
It’s an interesting idea, and I like the angle of focusing on taxis in order to increase utilization of the site. EV charging is potentially an interesting business long term, but currently a lot of chargers see low usage because it’s so easy for most of the people who own EVs to charge at home.
But we’re going to have to move beyond the market of people who can easily charge in a garage attached to a single family home, especially in cities. Getting an easy way for the cars that get used the most in a city to charge is a really important move, and we’re looking forward to seeing how Hubber can help with this. And having a leadership team consisting of people who formerly worked at the best charging team in the industry isn’t a bad start.
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Indian ag and automaker Mahindra has launched a limited-run Batman Edition of its BE 6 Electric Origin SUV, calling it, “a production car that brings to life a rare fusion of cinematic heritage and modern luxury, inspired by Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed The Dark Knight Trilogy from Warner Bros. Pictures.”
And, you guys – the new Mahindra BE 6 is. So. Serious.
Someone at Mahindra is very taken with American culture it seems. After launching the Willys MB Jeep-inspired Mahindra Roxor a few years ago, the company followed it up by building a credible line of EVs co-developed with VW. Now, they’re building a limited edition of one of those EVs inspired by another American cultural icon.
“Batman is more than a pop-culture icon — he represents innovation, resilience, and an unyielding drive to push boundaries,” says Vikram Sharma, Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, APAC. “This collaboration brings that spirit to the road in a bold, electric way. With this limited-edition range, fans in India can now experience the thrill of Batman every time they drive. It’s a collector’s statement on wheels.”
To separate the Batman Edition from the other Mahindra SUVs, its makers have festooned their EV with Dark Knight logos and branding, inside and out.
Batman Edition features
Exterior
- Custom Satin Black Colour premieres on the Batman Edition
- Custom Batman Decal on front doors
- R20 alloy wheels for an aggressive, athletic stance
- Alchemy Gold-painted suspension and brake callipers a bold, premium contrast to the Satin black body
- “BE 6 × The Dark Knight”, limited edition, rear badging
- The Bat emblem, as seen in The Dark Knight Trilogy, uniquely placed on:
- Hub caps
- Front quarter panels
- Rear bumper
- Windows & Rear Windshield
- Infinity Roof featuring The Dark Knight Trilogy Bat emblem
- Night Trail – Carpet lamps with The Dark Knight Trilogy Bat emblem logo projection
- ‘Batman Edition’ signature sticker on rear door cladding
Interior
- Brushed Alchemy Gold Batman Edition plaque on the dashboard with numbering
- Charcoal leather instrument panel (IP) with brushed gold halo around driver cockpit
- Suede and leather upholstery with gold sepia accent stitching and integrated The Dark Knight Trilogy Bat emblem for a rich, tactile experience
- Gold-accented steering wheel, In-Touch Controller, Electronic Parking Brake, custom key fob with Alchemy gold detailing
- The Dark Knight Trilogy Bat emblem embossed on:
- The “Boost” button
- Seats
- Interior labels
- Pinstripe graphic and The Dark Knight Trilogy Bat Emblem across the passenger dashboard panel
- Race car inspired open straps with Batman Edition Branding Batman Edition welcome animation on the infotainment display
- Custom Batman inspired exterior engine sounds
Despite all the Batman branding, the end result is almost tasteful. I could do without the custom Batman decal on the front quarter panels, but the rest of the mods are far less offensive. I even like the little “Bat Signal” puddle lights on the wing mirrors.
Mahindra Batman BE 6
As a car, the special edition Batman Mahindra is based on the top-shelf version of the BE 6, fitted with a 79 kWh battery good for 550 km (about 340 miles) of range according to its WLTP rating. That battery sends power to a rear-mounted 282 hp (210 kW / 286 PS) electric motor generating and 380 Nm (about 280 lb-ft) of torque that sends power to the rear wheels.
The BE6 also features a modern Level 2 ADAS tech and screens everywhere, including in the steering wheel hub – which seems like it might get particularly nasty in an airbag deployment (but no one asked me).
Pricing starts at ₹27.79 lakh (a little under $27,500, as I type this), and production will be limited to just 300 units. Order books are set to open 23AUG.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Mahindra.
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Electric bike and scooter safety is now part of the curriculum in some schools – and surprisingly, it’s happening in Florida.
Yes, Florida. The state that’s better known for keeping education out of schools, banning everything from books to the word “gay.” But now, a Central Florida nonprofit is stepping in to make sure students are at least learning how to ride responsibly.
The group Best Foot Forward for Pedestrian Safety has partnered with local police departments and Orange County Public Schools to bring e-bike and e-scooter safety programs directly into middle schools and high schools. The initiative is focused on addressing the growing number of crashes and injuries involving students riding electric two-wheelers.
The safety course covers basics like wearing helmets, obeying traffic laws, and making yourself visible to drivers — skills that are important for the many young riders who are increasingly taking to electric bikes as a form of independent transportation around their cities and neighborhoods. One of the main topics of the program is said to be speed management. The program addresses the importance of keeping speeds reasonable and the impacts of faster riding.
Like much of the US, Florida has seen a surge in e-bike and e-scooter popularity among kids and teens, especially in suburban and coastal areas. While many embrace them as a fun and fast way to get around, the sudden rise has also come with a worrying spike in injuries and deaths, prompting calls for improvements in both infrastructure and education.
With e-bike usage exploding across the US, more schools and communities are exploring steps to increase rider education. It’s a sign that America’s transportation habits are changing – and our education systems are beginning to catch up.
Electrek’s Take
I think programs like this are great because they teach kids things that they’d otherwise have to learn through trial and error. We don’t just hand cars to sixteen-year-olds and say, “figure it out.” So it follows that some form of organized rider education would be important as more youths take to e-bikes than ever before.
In cycling-intensive cities in Europe, all schools teach kids to ride bikes, often giving the kids some form of cute little cycling diploma to demonstrate that they’ve passed the course and can safely ride a bike.
But at the same time, this makes me wonder if we’re still missing the point. Responding to an increase in e-bike rider deaths with lessons about bicycle speed management is a bit like responding to mass shootings by lecturing innocent passersby about why they shouldn’t run into bullets.
Educating riders is always great and I’ll always support it. But in parallel, perhaps we should also be addressing the root cause of all of these tragics deaths. At the end of the day, most electric bike-related deaths aren’t a result of an e-bike rider doing too much fast riding; they’re a result of a car driver doing too much running over a cyclist.
via: Fox13
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