Hyundai and Kia are getting ready to build a lot of electric cars in the United States, and they’ll be borrowing some tech from a U.S brand for them.
The South Korean sister automakers have announced that they will be using the Tesla-designed North American Charging Standard (NACS) for their future EVs.
They join a growing list of brands that are adopting the standard that already includes Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Fisker, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Honda.
Both plan to integrate the plug design as standard equipment starting in the fourth quarter of 2024, while their models with the current Combined Charging Standard (CCS) plugs will be able to access the Tesla supercharging network using adapters and software updates.
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The NACS plug and cable design is smaller and easier to use than the CCS and Tesla’s network is considered the most reliable, although some CCS stations are currently capable of higher charging speeds.
“Our collaboration with Tesla marks another milestone in our commitment to delivering exceptional EV experiences to our customers,†said José Muñoz, president and global COO, Hyundai Motor Company and president and CEO, Hyundai Motor North America, in a press release.
“This new alliance will provide Hyundai EV owners confidence in their ability to conveniently charge their vehicles and complements our joint venture company to create a new, high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 stations across North America.â€
Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand already builds the GV70 Electrified SUV in Alabama and a new assembly facility for electric models is under construction in Georgia that will start manufacturing the Kia EV9 next year.