Right now, there’s a roaring race rounding the tracks of automotive innovation. EVs are the thoroughbreds leading the charge. They provide myriad benefits when standing up to traditional ICE vehicles: cheaper annual operating costs, a cheaper power source, less maintenance, and a simply unparalleled driving experience. However, a cloud of anxiety still looms over late adopters. These clouds are charged with fears of range limitations and long charging times in comparison to gasoline-powered vehicles. Let’s dive into these fears and anxieties and see if they’re worthy or baseless.
The bogeyman of range anxiety has loomed on the outskirts of every conversation about EVs since they were first incepted. This automotive Grendel was born out of the lack of EV infrastructure and a charging standard across the board. However, the advent of the North American Charging Standard (NACS) changed everything. In addition to all modern EVs now running on the same standard, NACS has provided the opportunity for automakers to collaborate on policy and infrastructure development. Charging stations are now popping up like wildflowers in spring. Additionally, the average EV range now sits comfortably between 195 to 216 miles on a single charge.
The NACS is a charging protocol developed by Tesla, and has since been adopted by major automakers and charging point operators across North America. However, from a bird’s eye view, the NACS was the spark that started the EV wildfire. It’s designed to be as lightweight, compact, and efficient as possible, providing fast charging capabilities from both AC and DC power sources with a single connector. Fast-charging infrastructure improves every day, with developers continuously tracking billions of miles of charging data and building new stations based on that information.
Converting to electric with NACS by your side is like time traveling with Dr. Who as your travel agent. The overwhelming majority of conversion projects use the J1772 charging adapter, which is the most common type of connector for Level 2 charging in North America. It’s a smaller, simpler connector that’s compatible with most EV models. CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, on the other hand, are primarily used for fast charging and NACS is a hybrid supporting both level 2 and DC fast charging. The advent of NACS has provided universal support for new EVs and conversion projects alike:
NACS is more of a mandate than a standard. It made the strides that everyone in the EV world needed for the new era of vehicles to become more appealing and practical. Now, drivers can confidently make the switch to electric, knowing that their needs for quick, efficient, and accessible charging are right around the corner. So, whether you’re eyeing the market for that spiffy new Rivian or have a ‘67 Mustang sitting in your garage, begging for a beautiful new EV motor, you’ll be catching up to the charging infrastructure, not the other way around.
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