Tesla making CCS adapter for fast charging interface

[Tedkidd]

Once the LEAF started selling in "huge" (at least in the context of EV sales numbers at the time) numbers, and without any products of their own being released in the near term to compete with Nissan, the rest of the European and North American automakers needed some way to thwart Nissan's advantage.

Thus, CCS was born. It was defined as a standard well before any cars that could accept it were released. As cwerdna speculated, and which I believe is 100% truth, their primary goal at the time was not to create a better charging standard, but to inject confusion into the system by introducing a competitor to CHAdeMO. And you can be sure it worked! Other than Nissan dealers and some early adopter entities (mainly in CA, OR and WA in the US, as well as outlets in Europe), many entities that were considering building out charging networks decided they needed to wait and see what happened with the so-called charging connector war.

Mission accomplished! Nobody (especially in the US) wanted to install a CHAdeMO charging station they feared would be obsolete if most of the auto industry was not going to support it. So they just bided their time and waited for the CCS standard to be completed and the first cars (several years later) to support it become available. That maneuver set charging networks in the US back probably 2-3 years, and as designed, gave the other automakers a chance to catch up.

You could argue that they could have simply chosen the Tesla connector. But two things:

First, their goal was not to create a compelling connector. It was to inject confusion and doubt into the system and delay the actual standard for as long as possible. Using an existing connector would not have bought them any time. And keep in mind that the Tesla connector was proprietary anyway (technically CHAdeMO was as well, but it was controlled by a consortium rather than a single automaker). Plus, I think that Tesla would have (and does still) preferred to keep control over the connector so they could rapidly enhance it, versus having to go through a rigorous standards approval process that would slow down innovation.

Second, and more importantly, Tesla was not really on automakers' minds in 2011 when the CCS standard was being developed. It's not like they were unheard of, but most figured the company would probably wither and die, or at best become a niche player. You would have been laughed out of the room to suggest that the Tesla connector be adopted as an alternative charging standard. In fact, I think it's only been since about late 2019 that the auto industry has finally come to accept that Tesla is a real player, much less a decade ago!

Hopefully this adds some historical perspective to the evolution of the various connectors. While it's certainly clear to us in 2021 that Tesla provides the most elegant solution, that certainly was not obvious in 2011 when the CCS standard was being developed.

This articulately describes how i remember it. it really pissed me off then, and still does.

 

[vertigo235]

Since this is some sort of pass through adapter and uses an onboard CCS chip, seems like it is inevitable that there will be a 3rd party adapter for sell from somewhere like EVSE Adapters – Electric vehicle charging solutions, adapter cords for EV, RV, welders, and more. Charge anywhere.

 

[boulder.dude]

With the number of Tesla chargers in the Chicago area why not use one of those (if you cannot charge at home)? Certainly as easy and for the number of times you might use either, less expensive (how much will a CCS adaptor cost)? In 4+ years and 138000+ miles I've never had occasion to use one. Home charging, supercharging, destination charging, and J1772 connections have gotten me all over the US (including Chicago, former hometown). Just wondering.

Can I also assume you have the PlugShare App? Shows tons of charging locations without having to rely on CCS.

There are many “Supercharger deserts” in the American West. CCS charging options are cropping up everywhere and will expand the places you can take an EV without stress. E.g. Kanab, UT is a base for exploring many national parks, but only has CCS/CHADeMO on the fast-charging front. Another example is Monument Valley…

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

There are many “Supercharger deserts” in the American West. ...

You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many places to Supercharge/Fast Charge your EV!

Rich

 

[Tedkidd]

Avon, NC - southern outer banks...