BMW i5 spotted with native NACS port – could be one of the 1st brands to switch?
A BMW i5 with a native NACS port was spotted charging this weekend in Green River, Utah, leading to thoughts that BMW’s NACS transition may leapfrog a few other companies.
We’ve seen a lot of action in the NACS transition in the last few weeks, with several brands added to Tesla’s Supercharger “coming soon” page, separate announcements from VW and Honda, and with Hyundai shipping the first third-party vehicles with a native NACS port (which works great on Superchargers) and Kia’s native NACS EV6 just around the corner as well.
One of the brands added to the “coming soon” list is BMW, a brand whose NACS transition we haven’t heard a whole lot about lately. It announced in 2023 that NACS would come in 2025, and we know that an adapter will be available when BMW gains access to the network (though the transition has gotten a little bit chaotic in the interim, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s unwise abrupt firing of the whole Supercharger team).
But BMW also has a new class of vehicles coming out – dubbed, in the most German way possible, “Neue Klasse” – with a new EV platform that better integrates batteries into the vehicle structure. Those vehicles may come with NACS support natively, and the first of them should ship by the end of this year.
And we may have seen the first physical indication of those future native NACS vehicles this weekend in Utah, with a BMW i5 spotted being driven and charged by BMW engineers.
The pictures were taken by reddit user Redditq_, who we also followed up with. They mentioned that the vehicles all had various engineering equipment stuck to the dashboards, that there were three development vehicles in total at the station (other than his, in the middle of the shot above), and that the cars were using an adapter to charge. The engineers said they were testing the NACS port.
Interestingly enough, this charging station doesn’t have any NACS charging heads, only CCS and CHAdeMO. So the engineers used a CCS to NACS adapter to charge at this station.
The BMW has the charging port on the passenger side, which is notable as Teslas all have charging ports on the driver side. This has caused some difficulty as brands gain Supercharger access, because older Supercharger stations have short cables that can’t reach both sides of the vehicle (the new V4 system will fix this, but not many of those stations have rolled out yet). This has led to some vehicles having to double-park in order to charge, which is actually the Tesla-recommended method.
But passenger-side ports are more beneficial for street-side charging, which is becoming more common in European cities and would be a method to make it easier for apartment-dwellers or other street parkers to charge their cars. The Rivian R2 was originally unveiled with a relocated charge port to the passenger side for this reason, before moving it back to the driver’s side for Supercharger compatibility instead.
This is actually one of the first vehicles that we’ve seen with a native NACS port, even in testing. While most brands have announced a transition and several are already sending out adapters and are Supercharger-compatible, the only other cars we’ve seen with native ports have been Hyundai/Kia cars and unreleased/concept vehicles (e.g. the R2 and the Aptera).
So, despite BMW not being on the absolute forefront of the transition in terms of adapter availability (like Ford or Rivian, for example), it may leapfrog some brands at bringing a NACS-native car to market.
We saw a similar thing with Hyundai and Kia, when a camouflaged vehicle with a native port was spotted in July 2024, about six months before Hyundai started shipping the Ioniq 5 with its own native port. We wonder if something similar might happen with BMW.
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We’ve got huge news in the 4X4 Ford world with the launch of the first-ever all electric Ford Bronco. Plus, we’ve got a new long-wheelbase Model Y from Tesla and a full-scale d*ck-measuring contest in the world of full self driving. All this and more on today’s episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got a $300 million investment from Uber into Tesla Robotaxi rivals Lucid and Nuro and a suitably rapid successor to Lancia’s legendary HF nameplate – that could be an ideal new-age Neon, if Stellantis grows the stones to bring it Stateside.
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Some of the best financing deals on EVs are offering 0% APR for up to 72 months, and if you combine that with an electric car eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit, you get a pretty solid deal if you’re looking to buy.
However, the EV federal tax credit dies a premature, unnecessary death on September 30, 2025, thanks to the Republican-controlled Congress, so check out the best EV financing deals below that our friends at CarsDirect have surfaced.
2024 Acura ZDX – 0% APR For 72 Months + up to $10,000 cash
It’s not every day you can pair 0% APR for six years with up to $10,000 in savings, but that’s what’s on the table for the 2024 Acura ZDX through September 2.
For the A-Spec trim with all-wheel drive, buyers get $6,000 off the MSRP. Go with rear-wheel drive, and that drops to $3,500. The Type S also gets a $2,500 cut.
If you own an Acura or a competing brand, there’s an extra $4,000 loyalty or conquest cash offer in the mix.
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2025 Toyota bZ4X – 0% APR For 72 Months + $2,500 cash
In many regions, Toyota is offering 0% APR plus $2,500 in bonus cash on the 2025 bZ4X when you finance through Toyota Financial Services. That $2,500 is basically a rebate tied to Toyota’s promotional interest rate.
This offer wraps up August 4, so if the bZ4X is on your list, now’s a good time to make a move.
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The 2025 Subaru Solterra is sticking with its usual deep-discount playbook of 0% APR for 72 months through July 31. But there’s a lesser-known perk worth flagging.
According to a national dealer incentive bulletin, Subaru is also kicking in $2,500 in dealer cash. You can stack it with the 0% financing deal, but don’t expect it to be plastered all over ads – it’s a behind-the-scenes offer, so shopping around could pay off.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Subaru Solterra in stock. – trusted affiliate link
2025 Honda Prologue – 0% APR + $11,500 cash
Through September 2, Honda’s got one of the most generous EV deals around on the 2025 Prologue: 0% APR plus up to $11,500 in bonus cash.
Here’s how it breaks down if you finance through Honda Financial Services: $5,500 in cash off the top, a $3,500 loyalty or conquest bonus if you already drive a Honda (or are switching from a competitor), and another $2,500 on top of that. It’s all stackable. Plus, the 2024 Honda Prologue is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit on purchases.
The catch? You need to live in California or another ZEV state to get the full package. But even outside those areas, Honda’s still offering solid cash incentives that make the Prologue well worth a look.
Click here to find a local dealer with the Honda Prologue in stock. – trusted affiliate link
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E – 0% APR + $0 Down + 0 payments for 90 days
Ford’s rolling out a “zero-zero-zero” deal on the 2025 Mustang Mach-E: You get 0% APR for 60 months, $0 down, and no payments for the first 90 days.
To sweeten the deal, Ford is throwing in a free home charger plus free installation. If you’re already set up with home charging or just not interested, you can opt for an extra $500 bonus instead.
For a popular EV like the Mach-E, this is one of Ford’s most aggressive financing offers in a while, especially with that no-payment cushion built in.
Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Ford Mustang Mach-E in stock. – trusted affiliate link
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Subaru today launched its compact AWD SUV at an event in New York City. With 300 miles of range, NACS charge port, a speedy 0-60 time of under 5 seconds, you could say that this is Subaru’s first modern EV, no offense to the rebadged Toyota BZ/Solterra…
The exterior looks a bit like a $100K Lotus Eletre with an off road flair. Uncharted will compete with Volvo’s EX30 Rivian’s R2S and other AWD EVs that might not be as rugged like the VW ID.4, Hyundai Kona and even the Chevy Equinox. Subaru’s lighting signature, shared with the 2026 Solterra and Trailseeker, along with its aggressive, rugged off-road styling will set it apart from the crowd.
It features new 18- or 20-inch wheel designs, as well as a high-contrast, available two-tone roof on Uncharted GT for enhanced curb appeal. At the rear, the sleek combination lamps, black badging, high beltline, and seamless rear design, complemented by a silver-painted lower rear fascia, add to the visual presence of the Uncharted. Low-profile roof rails on all-wheel-drive models add more options for carrying gear.
A NACS charge port with speeds up to 150 kW ensures convenient and fast charging options at more than 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stations nationwide. Even in cold weather conditions, the Uncharted can recharge its battery from 10% to 80% in nearly 30 minutes thanks to an onboard battery preconditioning system. At home, you can charge up to 11KW level 2 charging.
The interior is modern Subaru with rugged textile around a big 14-inch CarPlay/Android Auto screen experience (pictured below). There are 2 wireless phone chargers up front and 2 USB-C chargers in the rear.
All trim levels of the Subaru Uncharted are equipped with an All-Weather Package, including heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer; power rear gate; interior ambient lighting; and DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System. The Uncharted Sport adds X-MODE® Dual-Mode with Grip Control, heated steering wheel, StarTex® water-repellent upholstery, panoramic view monitor, and more. Uncharted GT will include a panoramic moonroof with motorized shade, 20-inch wheels, ventilated front seats, Harman Kardon® premium audio system, smart rearview mirror, and more.
The Uncharted battery is just under 75kWh, around the same size as a long range Tesla Model Y and it will get close to 300 miles in its FWD model (boo). Uncharted Sport and GT models are equipped with standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with X-MODE, an anticipated range of up to 290 miles, and 338 horsepower which will appeal to more Subaru customers.
Full gallery below:
Electrek’s take
While Subaru maintains its close relationship with Toyota in EVs, and this is a C-HR rebadge, the Uncharted breaks some new ground. I love the NACS port, I love the range and the acceleration. Subaru’s fans might finally have an EV they can upgrade their ICE vehicle for.
That’s one thing that might be concerning for Subaru in the EV age: In ICE vehicles, Subaru makes one of the best, complicated AWD systems. However with EVs, AWD is almost table stakes at this point. Subaru will have to continue to innovate in the off road capable small SUV segment if it hopes to compete with all of the EV encombants. At this point, Subaru is a suspension and branding mod for Toyota.
The Uncharted certainly seems to be a good start.
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