Love it or hate it, Tesla has done more to advance the electric vehicle cause than probably any other automaker in the world. Aside from transforming the perception of EVs from some weird science experiment to a viable transportation option – even something that’s cool to own and drive – a key element of Tesla’s success has been the company’s Supercharger network, something rival manufacturers have been eager to gain access to. And now, yet another automaker’s EVs can be juiced up at Tesla chargers, with Hyundai’s access officially beginning this week.
Hyundai Joins The Supercharger Ranks
Currently, electric vehicles from a wide range of companies can Supercharge, from Ford and GM to Polestar, Nissan, Lucid, and others, but now Hyundai owners can do the same. On March 25, the South Korean automaker announced its EVs fitted with the legacy Combined Charging System (CCS) port can now juice up at Tesla Superchargers by using a special adapter.
Making this process as seamless as possible, customers with a vehicle purchased or leased before January 31, 2025, will be eligible to get one of these coveted pieces of hardware for free from Hyundai. To claim their complimentary adapter, owners must have a MyHyundai account, and have opted to receive email communications from the automaker. After receiving an invitation, drivers have 60 days to claim their no-cost charging adapter.
Tesla developed the so-called North American Charging Standard or NACS (You can say each letter, “N-A-C-S,” or pronounce this as a word, “nacks.” The choice is yours!) socket for its vehicles but ultimately made this design available to all automakers. In fact, the Society of Automotive Engineers has codified Tesla’s charging port design as the SAE J3400 standard. The NACS plug is smaller, lighter, and easier to wrangle than the bulkier, but potentially more robust CCS design.
No Adapter Needed – NACS Ports Will Be Native
Hyundai’s Kona Electric, Ioniq hatchback as well as the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 models can now all suckle electricity from a Tesla Supercharger using an adapter. Future models, including the 2025 Ioniq 5 and future 2026 Ioniq 9 SUV will be fitted with a NACS charging port right from the factory, so no additional hardware is required to Supercharge.
In a media release shared by the automaker, Olabisi Boyle, senior vice president, product planning and mobility strategy at Hyundai said, “Starting today, more Hyundai EV customers will have access to 20,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America, doubling their fast-charging options,” a huge upgrade for Hyundai EV owners. “This move improves the public charging experience by giving our customers even more choice. It’s a vital part of our commitment to ease America’s transition to electric vehicle ownership,” Boyle added.
Compared to rival car companies, Hyundai is a little late to the Supercharger party – in fact, Ford EVs gained access to Tesla’s network about a year ago – but this is still a monumental upgrade for drivers that own one of this automaker’s excellent EVs. Access to plentiful – and more importantly, reliable – DC fast chargers makes the electric vehicle ownership experience so much better.
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