BMW Group has become the latest automotive OEM to support the North American Charging Standard (NACS), also known as Tesla’s Supercharger network, with electric vehicle (EV) drivers gaining access to the chargers in early 2025.
Currently, BMW EV drivers have access to combined charging system (CCS) EV stations but under a new agreement with Tesla it will expand the number of charging stations available by 12,000 Superchargers across North America.
BMW said the deal is part of its continued effort to expand charging options for current and future drivers of EVs, particularly given the company’s plans to widen electrified models in the coming years to meet demand as well as meet climate change regulations.
Why it matters
All automotive OEMs are quickly transitioning to electrified models with the goal of having a majority of EVs on the road in their fleets in the next 10 to 15 years. BMW is no different.
In the short term at the very least, the access to the Supercharger network will help to promote the adoption of EVs and help what is one of the major sticking points to new sales of EVs in the lack of public charging station availability, according to a recent report from J.D. Power.
Several automotive OEMs in North America have adopted the NACS connector to allow access to Tesla’s 12,000 fast-charge points in North America. Additionally, SAE International said it will standardize NACS connector due to recent support. Simultaneously, third-party EV charging vendors have thrown in support for NACS either earlier this year or shortly after Ford, General Motors and Volvo said they would adopt the connector.
Additionally, BMW was one of the seven automotive OEMs that recently agreed to create a joint venture company to build a high-powered EV charging network in North America. That JV is aimed at building at least 30,000 new chargers across major cities and highways with combined access to CCS and NACS connectors. The JV, which BMW said is independent of the Supercharger deal, is expected to be established later this year.
More deals
Meanwhile, BMW also signed a deal with Allegro MicroSystems Inc. to supply the automotive company with current sensor semiconductors for its traction inverter systems used across its EV fleet.
The magnetic sensors measure the electrical current flowing through vehicle motors and allow precise motor control to extend driving range and minimize power loss, Allegro said. The semiconductors feature built-in overcurrent detection and self-diagnostics for safety and reliability while reducing the number of components used in the traction inverter.
