Hyundai Motor Company said it may join an alliance of automakers shifting to Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s North America Charging Standard (NACS) if it makes sense, according to reports.
Addressing analysts and investors at an investor day, president and CEO of the South Korean company, Jaehoon Chang, said Hyundai would consider making electric vehicles (EVs) compatible with Tesla NACS if it was in the best interest of its customers.
However, Chang said Tesla’s current network of ‘Superchargers’ does not allow for the faster charging of Hyundai’s TVs can achieve on other charges.
Hyundai's new electric cars, including the Ioniq 5, use an 800-volt electrical architecture to allow for faster charging, while Tesla's Superchargers operate at a lower voltage.
Chang said Hyundai would consult with Tesla to see whether it could make adjustments to its charging system for Hyundai customers so they could charge faster, Reuters reported.
In February, the Biden administration announced that Tesla, with the support of $7.5 billion in government subsidies, will open a portion of its US Supercharger and Destination Charger network to non-Tesla EVs.
Tesla operates the second-largest charging network in America behind ChargePoint and has agreed to make at least 7,500 chargers available for all EVs by the end of 2024 and to distribute those chargers across the US.
Ford and General Motors have already announced that they plan to incorporate Tesla NACS into future battery electric vehicle designs, per the Reuters report.
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