The SAE J3400 North American Charging Standard (NACS) Electric Vehicle Coupler Technical Information Report was developed through broad-based industry consensus in the SAE Hybrid-EV J3400 NACS Electric Vehicle Coupler Task Force. In addition to benefiting EV drivers, the SAE says the standard will help to ensure that any supplier or manufacturer will be able to use, manufacture, or deploy the J3400 connector for EVs and charging stations across North America.
The publication of the J3400 TIR comes six months after SAE’s announcement that it would standardize the Tesla-developed NACS connector. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation was instrumental in fostering the SAE-Tesla partnership to expedite plans to standardize NACS, which plays a key role in building an interoperable national charging network that will work for EV drivers with multiple kinds of charging connectors.
“As the Joint Office supports the buildout of a convenient and reliable national charging network, open and interoperable standards are crucial to ensuring that every EV can charge at any station,” said Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. “We appreciate the commitment and knowledge of SAE and its experts from the automotive, EV charging, academic, and government sectors to make the charging experience easier and more accessible for Americans nationwide.”
“SAE J3400 provides a blueprint for cost-effective mass electrification of transportation in North America,” stated Dr. Rodney McGee, chairman, SAE J3400 NACS Task Force, and research engineer at the Transportation Electrification Center at the University of Delaware. “It facilitates broad interoperability for EV charging solutions by providing a unified, compact connector for both AC and DC charging. It is compatible with bring your own cord solutions that make J3400 an optimal approach for AC power transfer for street charging, parking garages/lots, and multi-unit or mixed-use buildings.”
This standardized approach also means that the same utility power feeds for DC fast charging can be utilized for single-phase AC charging, eliminating the need for separate circuit panels and additional step-down transformers at charging sites, resulting in lower infrastructure costs and higher efficiencies.
“The J3400 TM task force represents government and industry collaboration at its best: working tirelessly to complete this milestone in reliability for EV drivers in six months,” said Christian Thiele, director, global ground vehicle standards, SAE International.
