Tesla is still fighting for its North American Charging Standard chargers to become dominant over the Combined Charging System chargers, which are used by most other electric vehicles in the United States. Now, the company is releasing a new product that could help its cause.
The product, called the Tesla Universal Wall Connector, is a new version of the EV company's home charging Wall Connectors. But unlike the old Tesla Wall Connectors, which are only compatible with NACS (and therefore can only charge Teslas), the Tesla Universal Wall Connector will also be compatible with CCS plugs.
As Electrek pointed out, this is similar to what Tesla has done with its Magic Dock adapters installed at some Supercharger stations, which can charge both Teslas and non-Teslas alike.
For EV enthusiasts and drivers, products like these are a win since they breed cooperation instead of competition that forces consumers to choose a side. This charger could be a game-changer, especially for car owners who have multiple EVs of different makes.
The Tesla Universal Wall Connector is expected to start reaching consumers in October. It costs $595, a bit more than the regular Wall Connector, which is priced at $475.
Electrek's commenters were somewhat split on how big of a deal this new product is.
"If you are new to the EV world and don't already have charging set up at home, then investing $595 in this Universal Wall Connector might be a smart move," wrote one commenter. "However, if you already have charging set up at home, whether it's NACS or J1772, there are adapters for both situations."
Another disagreed, however, writing, "For people asking how this is newsworthy or great for EV buyers and claiming this type of solution has been available for a while, let me tell you why it's important. It's important because there is no other solution with the level of software integration and control that Tesla charger provides and all the stats and options you get."
But a third commenter chirped back at the second, writing: "Set the car up to charge off peak and forget about it. I can't imagine spending time obsessing about all the stats and options that might be available."
Who would have thought a new home EV charging product would spark such debate? Overall, it's got to be good news for EV drivers that there are now enough different home charging options to argue over.
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