Toronto, Ontario — An international coalition of seven major automotive brands announced the formation of a new company on Wednesday, which will see Tesla’s dominant Superchargers challenged by a new combined CCS/NACS network.
Comprised of General Motors, Stellantis, Hyundai/Kia, Honda, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, this as-of-yet unnamed company plans to roll out more than 30,000 fast chargers across North America, making use of both the Tesla-backed North American Charging Standard (NACS) and the Combined Charging System (CCS), according to Reuters.
This new network aims to compete directly with Tesla’s 18,000 charger-strong Supercharger network, despite the fact that Mercedes and GM have both publicly committed to adopting NACS and gaining access to Tesla’s network, starting in 2025.
“A strong charging network should be available for all—under the same conditions—and be built together with a win-win spirit,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement.
The group of automakers did not provide any specific details on how the project’s funding obligations will be split between individual parties, however, they did say they are open to investment from any company, automotive or otherwise.
