- Volkswagen EV owners in the USA are set to imminently gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network, opening up another 15,000 rapid charge point opportunities across North America for drivers.
- From November 18th, US owners of the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID. Buzz electric van will be granted access to the Supercharger network.
- Current owners will be able to purchase a CCS to NACS adapter directly from Volkswagen dealers or online, allowing their EVs to be compatible with the network.
Volkswagen EVs gain access to US Tesla Superchargers
The North American EV market seems largely set on the North American Charging Standard (NACS) becoming the preferred standard in the region. Originally created by Tesla, it released this once-proprietary charging design to the public back in 2022, allowing other automakers to implement the port on their own EVs. Manufacturers such as Ford, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and more are all making the switch to this new standard.
Compatibility with NACS also allows EVs to access much of Tesla’s own Supercharger network, which is the largest DC charging network across North America. Even some of the cheapest electric cars in the USA already ship with a native NACS port, so it’s a welcome move for the manufacturer to now support the standard through two of its most Volkswagen EV models – albeit through an adapter, for the timebeing.
Petar Danilovic, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, Volkswagen of America, commented:
“This is great news for our EV owners. They will now be able to access the more than 25,000 DC fast chargers on the Tesla Supercharger network across the United States, in addition to the more than 5,000 fast chargers on Electrify America’s grid. This makes life much more convenient, whether you are taking a road trip or you rely on public charging should home charging not be an option.”
When will Volkswagen EV models natively adopt NACS?
Whilst existing models such as the ID.4 and ID. Buzz will need this new adapter to access Tesla’s Supercharger network (which runs on the NACS protocol), the wider Volkswagen Group has signalled its intentions for North America-bound EVs from brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche to come with a NACS port from the factory in the future, removing the need for an adapter. In the meantime, brand new 2026 Volkswagen EV models will ship with an NACS adapter free of charge, whilst owners of 2025 ID.4 and ID. Buzz models will be eligible for a $100 rebate, bringing the total cost of the adapter down to $100. With the significant number of new ultra-rapid public charging opportunities this adapter brings, it’s certainly a price worth paying.
