Hyundai Motor will take into account the change from the Mixed Charging System (CCS1) to the Tesla’s North American Charging Customary (NACS) charging connector in North America.
Based on Reuters, the corporate’s CEO and president Jaehoon Chang stated that the shift will probably be thought of, noting on the similar that the perfect curiosity of its clients have to be secured.
“…the corporate would take into account becoming a member of the alliance of automakers shifting to Tesla’s normal, however that it must decide that was within the curiosity of its clients.”
One would possibly ask what’s the buyer’s finest curiosity concerning charging? Properly, there is a matter with the voltage. At the moment, Hyundai Motor Group’s (Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis) newest all-electric vehicles are based mostly on the E-GMP platform, which has high-voltage battery methods (round 600 to round 800 volts). Greater voltage permits quick charging at a proportionally decrease present (when the identical energy stage is taken into account).
For the South Korean producer, it is then crucial to be sure that the NACS normal will assist increased voltage than at the moment utilized by Tesla (round 400 V). The second factor is whether or not the Tesla Supercharging community will probably be outfitted with high-voltage chargers to maximise the quick charging velocity (and effectivity) of vehicles just like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6.
Plainly Hyundai’s boss is open to the concept and hints at potential talks with Tesla in regards to the matter:
“”That is what we’ll look into from the client’s perspective,” Chang instructed analysts on the automaker’s investor day.”
“Chang stated Hyundai would seek the advice of with Tesla to see whether or not it might make changes to its charging system for Hyundai clients so they may cost sooner.”
We won’t say something for certain, however it appears that evidently if points are solved, then the corporate is prepared to make the change to the NACS.
Let’s recall that when Tesla introduced the opening of its proprietary charging connector in November, it revealed that there are two configurations 500 V (at the moment utilized by Tesla) and 1,000 V. The second ought to simply deal with all autos with increased voltage battery methods, like 600-800 V within the E-GMP and even 900 V in Lucid fashions.
The facility output can be promised to succeed in the one-megawatt stage, far exceeding the present energy wants of electrical vehicles, which is kind of superb in comparison with the compact dimension of the connector.
In different phrases, if Tesla will launch the 1,000 V configuration of inlets, plugs, and different parts (and open the complete documentation, so different OEMs can produce these elements independently from Tesla), then Hyundai Motor Group can be way more serious about becoming a member of the NACS coalition.
It is value noting that the NACS coalition in North America already consists of Ford and Normal Motors and people producers are additionally within the 800 V battery methods. GM’s Ultium platform is already working on 800 V, so there’s a huge probability that Tesla already outlined the trail to a better voltage in inner talks with different producers to persuade them to change.
We’re fairly certain that if the voltage is the difficulty, there isn’t any difficulty in any respect as a result of even Tesla is anticipated to undertake increased voltage methods.
Hyundai Electrical-International Modular Platform (E-GMP)
The case with Hyundai Motor Group is greater than simply charging normal for vehicles offered in North America.
If a South Korean main automotive firm switches to NACS in North America, then what can be the purpose of sticking with the CCS1 in South Korea? In a couple of years, it will turn into a uncommon marketplace for the CCS1/J1772 (contemplating the dimensions of the market). South Korea has no actual curiosity to have a uncommon charging normal only for itself (assuming that CCS1 will probably be orphaned in North America).
In different phrases, the choice behind the change to NACS will probably be extra political as a result of it can probably embody not solely Hyundai Motor Group (its native gross sales in South Korea) however the entire nation (together with its infrastructure and different producers working in South Korea).
There’s a huge resolution on the desk then, however not the primary of such form. Within the early days, when Japan pushed with EVs (Nissan and Mitsubishi) and its CHAdeMO quick charging normal, South Korea was following ChadeMO for fairly a while earlier than switching to the CCS1 round 2018, if we keep in mind proper.