EV Charging Companies Are Against Texas’ Plan to Require the Tesla Standard

According to a document obtained by Reuters and a person familiar with the situation, a group of EV charger manufacturers and operators are opposing Texas’ proposal to require the use of Tesla technology at charging stations, claiming it is “premature.”

Texas will require charging businesses to support both Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) and the widely used rival Combined Charging Standard (CCS) technology in order to be eligible for a state program to electrify highways using federal funds, according to Reuters last week.

Washington followed suit, and standards group SAE International has said that it expects to provide an industry standard configuration of Tesla’s charging connection in six months or less, giving Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s desire to make NACS the country’s preferred charging method further impetus.

However, the Texas Transportation Commission has received a letter from five electric car charging businesses, including operator ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT.N) and manufacturer ABB (ABBN.S), requesting extra time to re-engineer and test Tesla’s (TSLA.O) connections.

According to the letter issued to the chairman of the panel on Thursday and seen by Reuters, Texas’ proposal “risks the successful deployment” of the federal funding’ first rollout.

“Time is needed to properly standardize, test, and certify the safety and interoperability of Tesla connectors across the industry,” they said.

According to a person with firsthand knowledge of the situation, several of these groups intend to raise the problem with the federal government shortly.

Reuters’ inquiries for comment on the Texas Department of Transportation, ChargePoint, ABB, and other signatories FreeWire, EVBox, and FLO were not immediately answered.

It was unable to instantly get in touch with Americans for Affordable Clean Energy, an organization of truck stops and convenience shops.

In recent weeks, Tesla, the leading American EV manufacturer, has won a number of triumphs for its charging technology, beginning with Ford Motor’s (F.N) announcement that it will use NACS. A number of vehicle and charging firms, including General Motors (GM.N), Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O), and others followed suit out of worry that they would lose consumers if they solely offered CCS.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Tesla’s Superchargers make up approximately 60% of all fast chargers in the country, and the agreements will let non-Tesla consumers access the company’s extensive charging infrastructure.

However, questions remain over how well the two billing standards would communicate with one another and if having both standards in use would result in higher prices for suppliers and clients.

The firms said in the letter that charging providers must make changes to many NACS connection specifications, including lengthening the cable and guaranteeing sufficient temperature ranges as well as obtaining certifications for certain sections.

The businesses also emphasized the need of a reliable supply chain for NACS cables and connectors that meet the specifications.