Automotive Engineering - August 2023 - 4

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
STANDARDS
SAE to standardize Tesla's NACS charging connector
Tesla's North American
Charging Standard connector,
at left, is being standardized by
the SAE after automakers like
Ford and GM signed on to use
it. The industry standard J1772/
CCS connector is at right.
SAE INTERNATIONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Todd Zarfos
President
Carla Bailo
2024 President
Srinivasa (Sri) Srinath, Ph.D
2022 President
Susan Ying, Ph.D
Vice President - Aerospace
Daniel Nicholson
Vice President - Automotive
Audley Brown
Vice President -
Commercial Vehicle
Andrew Jeffers
Treasurer
David L. Schutt, Ph.D
Chief Executive Officer
Gregory L. Bradley, Esq.
Secretary
SAE International announced that it will standardize
the Tesla-developed North American
Charging Standard (NACS) charging connector
for EVs. The global engineering organization
that engages nearly 200,000 engineers, technical
experts and volunteers said in a press release
that it will work to help with deployment
of the NACS connector, an alternative to the
longstanding SAE J1772 Combined Charging
System (CCS) connector, after Ford, General
Motors and a number of EV public-charging
equipment suppliers recently indicated they
intend to adopt the NACS connector design.
" Standardizing the NACS connector will provide
certainty, expanded choice, reliability and
convenience to manufacturers and suppliers and,
most of all, increase access to charging for consumers, "
explained Frank Menchaca, president of
Sustainable Mobility Solutions, an innovation arm
of SAE's parent company, Fullsight. The organization
in a statement credited the U.S.'s Joint Office
of Energy and Transportation for fostering the
SAE-Tesla partnership and " expediting plans to
standardize NACS - an important step in building
an interoperable national charging network
that will work for all EV drivers. "
4 August 2023
Ford announced in late May that it would
adopt the NACS charge connector and equip
next-generation EVs with charge points to accept
that connector; GM weeks later confirmed
a similar strategy. SAE said that the standardization
process is the next step to establish a
consensus-based approach " for maintaining
NACS and validating its ability to meet performance
and interoperability criteria. " Although
Tesla dubbed the NACS connector a " standard, "
it is not one that had been reached
through industry consensus. The SAE standardization
process is intended to assure reliable
and consistent performance for any EV model
or charging network.
" The new SAE NACS connector standard will
be developed on an expedited timeframe, " the
organization said, calling the arrangement one
of several key initiatives to strengthen North
America's charging infrastructure, including the
SAE-ITC's Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for
cyber-secure charging. SAE also said that in
close cooperation with the U.S.'s network of
National Laboratories, it also is contributing to
charger reliability design for the national
ChargeX consortium, which according to the
Judy Curran
Mary Lee Gambone
Michael Weinert
Joan Wills
SAE International Sections
SAE International Sections are local
units comprised of 100 or more SAE
International Members in a defined
technical or geographic area. The purpose
of local Sections is to meet the technical,
developmental, and personal needs of the
SAE Members in a given area. For more
information, please visit sae.org/sections
or contact SAE Member Relations Specialist
Abby Hartman at abby.hartman@sae.org.
SAE International
Collegiate Chapters
Collegiate Chapters are a way for SAE
International Student Members to get
together on their campus and develop
skills in a student-run and -elected
environment. Student Members are vital
to the continued success and future of
SAE. While your course work teaches
you the engineering knowledge you
need, participation in your SAE Collegiate
Chapter can develop or enhance other
important skills, including leadership,
time management, project management,
communications, organization, planning,
delegation, budgeting, and finance. For
more information, please visit students.
sae.org/chapters/collegiate/ or contact
SAE Member Relations Specialist Abby
Hartman at abby.hartman@sae.org.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
SAE/LINDSAY BROOKE
http://www.sae.org/sections http://www.sae.org/chapters/collegiate/
Automotive Engineering - August 2023

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