SAE International, a US-headquartered global standards organization and association of mobility professionals, has released a new report: SAE J3400TM: NACS Electric Vehicle Coupler Technical Recommended Practice (RP). It establishes a framework for EV charging in North America that includes physical, electrical, functional, safety and performance requirements for the rollout of the standard later this year.
The recommendations add 1,000 VDC fast charging with adapter thermal awareness as well as SAE Universal AC charging for mass electrification using carry-along cables, and adopt V2G and backup power requirements,
The SAE J3400TM NACS Task Force also announced that the NACS acronym has been changed to “North American Charging System” to reflect the fact that it is a system comprising a set of industry standards that cover aspects beyond the vehicle coupler.
In June 2023, SAE announced efforts to standardize the Tesla-developed North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector to address the need for compatibility among various charging systems and EV models. SAE J3400 aims to advance an interoperable charging network without the need for multiple adapters or proprietary systems, and to help ensure that suppliers and manufacturers will be able to use, manufacture and deploy the J3400 connector for EVs and charging stations across North America.
“This J3400 RP is very close to the finished standard. Over the next several months, the RP will be fine-tuned with additional comments and will then become a full-blown standard by the end of the year,” said Christian Thiele, Director, Global Ground Vehicle Standards, SAE International.
Chris Nevers, Senior Director of Public Policy with US EV manufacturer Rivian, added, “As Rivian adopts NACS and J3400 beginning next year, the official publication of SAE J3400 will enable the update of federal and state requirements leading to an improved charging experience with additional charging locations and reduced need for charger adapters.”
Source: SAE International