Tesla’s effort to introduce the North American Charging Standard (NACS), a design it created and advocated for, could ultimately simplify the charging process for all electric vehicle owners in the future. But before they get better, things will probably become more perplexing. In the next few years, EV drivers will have to negotiate a charging environment that is getting more and more fragmented as automakers like Ford, General Motors, Nissan, and Rivian migrate to NACS while holdout firms work to protect the SAE standards from being superseded.
Here is a safeguard against the impending chaos: The first and only home charging station that can connect directly to NACS and J1772 vehicles is Tesla’s new Universal Wall Connector. Whichever EV or plug-in hybrid you drive today or purchase in the near future in the United States will be able to be charged at home using the Universal Wall Connector. Preorders for the $595 charging station may be made today, and deliveries will begin in October 2023.
The Same As A Magic Dock For Your House
The Universal Wall Connector may be plugged into everything from a Tesla Model Y to a GMC Hummer EV to a Nissan Leaf since it combines a NACS connection with a J1772 adaptor built right into the wall-mounted box. Lift the charging station’s handle to start charging a Tesla or another vehicle with a NACS port. Before taking it out of the dock, you must press a button on the handle’s top to couple the adapter with the cable for charging J1772 automobiles.
The Magic Dock, which Tesla placed at about a dozen Supercharger stations earlier this year, is theoretically comparable to the issue at hand. Tesla drivers merely need to grab the cord and plug in at those fast-charging stations. Anyone driving a CCS-compatible car, such as a Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T, or Chevrolet Bolt EV, uses the Tesla app to arrange payment and remove the adaptor from the charging station. By preventing you from having to take out your phone and launch the app, the home Wall Connector makes the process simpler.
The Universal Wall Connector is different from other home chargers, although it isn’t particularly ground-breaking. A number of businesses currently offer adapters to link a NACS cable to a J1772 car, or the other way around. The Universal Wall Connector’s advantage is its elegant and straightforward design. The NACS Wall Connector and J1772 Wall Connector from Tesla both have a sleek appearance and cable-wrangling shape that are shared by the UWC.
The UWC is identical to those other Wall Connectors in terms of functionality except for the built-in adapter. It can deliver up to 11.5 kilowatts by charging at 48 amps on a 60-amp circuit, but hardwiring is required for installation. For its most efficient vehicles, Tesla estimates that full power can provide up to 44 miles of driving range per hour of charging. The Wall Connector has a lengthy reach thanks to its 24-foot cable, and its four-year warranty outlasts most of the competition.
Finally, Smarter Tesla Home Charging is available.
New connectivity capabilities for the Universal Wall Connector will be available at launch, enabling owners to remotely start or stop charging, plan charging periods, and monitor energy usage all through the Tesla app. These functions are typical of Wi-Fi-enabled home charging stations, but Tesla has hitherto relied on giving its vehicles access to the same resources and data. But when you use a Tesla home charger with a non-Tesla EV, that doesn’t work. The Wall Connecter should now have features comparable to those of well-liked competitors like the ChargePoint Home Flex, Wallbox Pulsar Plus, and Autel Maxi Charger AC Elite Home thanks to these software updates.
According to Tesla, an over-the-air software update will be released in late August or early September 2023 that will also bring these features to the current NACS and J1772 Wall Connectors. Wall Connectors will then be able to be added to the Tesla app as standalone goods by consumers.
A Charger For Changing Times
Tesla will phase out the J1772 Wall Connector, which was one of the top choices in the MotorTrend guide to the Best Home EV Chargers, with the release of the Universal Wall Connector. For those committed to Tesla’s NACS ecosystem, the NACS Wall Connector will still be available as a less expensive substitute. It is presently available for $475, which is $120 less expensive than the Universal charger.
The Universal Wall Connector appears to be the perfect charger at the right moment, though, since the industry is still feeling the effects of the big charging-standard shakeup of 2023. It’s a terrific option for families who already have both a Tesla and a non-Tesla EV in the garage or for anyone who wants to ensure that the home charger they install now will continue to function properly in the future.
