ChargePoint’s New Omni Port Works For Tesla Drivers. And Everybody Else

With the electrical automobile trade slowly transitioning to using Tesla’s North American Charging Normal (NACS) plug, there’s certain to be some unintentional anxiousness for the hundreds of thousands of EV drivers who depend upon the at present customary Mixed Charging System (CCS) plug. Will there be plug confusion for individuals seeking to cost, and can there be sufficient of the fitting plugs on the market for everybody? ChargePoint has an answer that appears proper on the cash: a DC quick charger that may assist both sort of automobile.

The California-based charging large immediately launched a brand new built-in adapter system for its electrical automobile charging gear. It is known as the Omni Port, and it is designed to permit any electrical automobile to entry ChargePoint’s chargers with out an adapter.

Tesla launched its model of the identical kind of know-how final yr and known as it the Magic Dock. Since then, the corporate has opened Magic Dock Supercharger places throughout the U.S. and has practically 100 Magic Dock websites to this point. 

However 100 Magic Dock places will not be sufficient, particularly because the NACS plug now takes better prominence throughout the panorama—ultimately turning into customary on EVs from Ford, Hyundai, Basic Motors and extra. So ChargePoint is stepping as much as create a system that may serve all sorts of EVs. 

The Omni Port adapter on a ChargePoint CP6000 public stage 2 charger

Is This Wanted?

I consider virtually everybody agrees that the electrical automobile trade in North America will profit from the choice automakers made final yr to modify from the present charging connector requirements of J1772 and CCS1, to Tesla’s North American Charging Normal, generally known as NACS. 

However these are the long-term results of the change. What in regards to the short-term points introduced on by this transition? There are hundreds of thousands of electrical automobiles on the roads within the U.S., and greater than one million new EVs are launched yearly. About half of all new EVs are Teslas with a local NACS charging port, whereas the opposite half use a J1772 connector for AC charging and a CCS1 port for DC charging.

(No, I did not overlook the truth that the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid nonetheless use a CHAdeMO port for DC charging. Whereas these automobiles are nonetheless accessible, they promote in very low numbers, and CHAdeMO is essentially being phased out. The overwhelming majority of non-Tesla EVs have a CCS1 inlet for DC charging.) 

ChargePoint Specific Plus DC Quick charger with the brand new Omni Port adapter system

Because the trade transitions to NACS, there might be a necessity for NACS-equipped automobiles to make use of J1772 and CCS1 charging stations, in addition to J1772 and CCS1-equipped EVs to make use of NACS-equipped chargers. 

As such, many third-party suppliers have begun promoting adapters for each want. There are NACS to J1772 adapters and the other, CCS1 to NACS and the other, and just lately a number of corporations have begun providing CCS1 to CHAdeMO adapters. 

All of these adapters require the shopper to purchase and carry across the machine in case they should use it at a public charging station. 

After all, in the event you drive an EV with a CCS1 inlet, you will not want an adapter if you wish to cost at a Tesla Supercharger with the Magic Dock {hardware}, and now Tesla drivers with a NACS inlet will not want one when charging on a ChargePoint charger with the Omni Port.

Beginning in 2025, most producers will start putting in NACS inlets on new EV fashions and over the following 3-5 years, section out J1772 and CCS1. However there’ll nonetheless be many hundreds of thousands of EVs that use J1772 and CCS1 that might want to use public chargers for a minimum of the following decade. 

With ChargePoint’s Omni Port, prospects can enter the yr, make, and mannequin of their EV within the ChargePoint app, and after they use an Omni Port-equipped ChargePoint station, the unit will robotically unlock the right connector for his or her automobile. 

If they do not have a ChargePoint account and pay with a bank card, they are going to be required to pick out the connector their EV makes use of on the charger’s touchscreen. 

All EV Sorts Welcome

I spoke with ChargePoint’s CEO, Rick Wilmer. He defined that present ChargePoint stations, each AC- and DC-powered, could be upgraded with the Omni Port built-in adapter system, and prospects now have the choice of ordering new chargers with the Omni Port included at no further value.

“Throughout {hardware} and software program, ChargePoint is bringing to market revolutionary options that guarantee all drivers who have to cost are ready to take action,” Wilmer mentioned in an announcement. “With Omni port, ChargePoint solved the challenges related to a a number of connector surroundings, guaranteeing Tesla and non-Tesla drivers can proceed to anticipate a world-class driver expertise. We’re giving drivers and website hosts assurance that ChargePoint will proceed to satisfy all their charging wants now and sooner or later.”

Moreover, ChargePoint will quickly introduce a house charger with the Omni Port to compete with the very talked-about Tesla Common Wall Connector. 

InsideEVs

Personally, I want these methods (Tesla’s Magic Dock and Omni Port) over having the shopper purchase and use a third-party adapter.  There are a variety of low-quality, unsafe EV charging adapters flooding the market (simply do a fast Amazon search), which is why a lot of the charging networks have banned their use. The adapters utilized in these methods by ChargePoint and Tesla have been completely examined and engineered for security and lengthy life. 

Is that this the sort of resolution we’d like for the way forward for EV charging? Tell us your ideas on ChargePoint’s new Omni Port within the feedback.