In a significant industry shift, Volkswagen Group has announced plans to adopt Tesla’s electric vehicle charging standard, marking a pivotal moment for EV interoperability. This move will see Volkswagen, along with its prestigious brands such as Audi and Porsche, integrate Tesla’s charging port into their upcoming electric vehicles starting in 2025.

A Late but Strategic Move

VW is incredibly late to this parade. Things started percolating in November 2022, when Tesla announced that it was rechristening its charging technology to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and would be offering it up to other automakers. Ford jumped on board first, then Mother GM, and then, the dominos began to fall in Tesla’s favor.

Volkswagen Group, one of the world’s largest automakers, with brands like Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, and Lamborghini under its umbrella, was conspicuously quiet throughout. All we heard was the company was “in talks” with Tesla. That story followed the news that Electrify America, VW’s EV charging subsidiary, would begin adding Tesla charging plugs itself. The rest of Germany’s auto industry soon followed, including BMW, Mini, and Mercedes-Benz.

The Supercharger Advantage

Tesla’s Supercharger network is famous for its reliability and widespread availability. With an impressive reliability of 99.95 percent last year, Tesla’s charging infrastructure shines in a market where other EV charging stations often face technical bugaboos. Tesla’s Supercharger network is widely recognized as superior to many of the third-party EV charging stations, most of which feature CCS plugs and the less utilized CHAdeMO charging standard. The company says it has 45,000 Superchargers worldwide, 12,000 of which are located in the US.

Looking Ahead

As Volkswagen sets its sights on a future with Tesla’s charging technology, the industry watches Stellantis, the last major automaker yet to commit to Tesla’s standard. This partnership between traditional automotive giants and Tesla paves the way for a more unified and robust EV ecosystem.