GM is launching three new EV charging adapters just as it commits to North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports. The adapters aim to boost flexibility for GM EV drivers but add complexity — some households might juggle up to four different dongles.
GM already sells a NACS-to-CCS adapter for Tesla Supercharger access. Now it’s adding:
- A NACS-to-J1772 adapter for Level 2 charging
- A J1772-to-NACS adapter for future NACS-port GM EVs
- A CCS-to-NACS dongle for fast charging
Tim Ash, GM Energy’s hardware products director, explained the goal: 
“GM has already committed to essentially transitioning our whole EV portfolio over to NACS,” Tim Ash, director of hardware products for GM Energy, told TechCrunch. “We believe that moving to that unified standard simplifies the experience for our customers.”
“The new adapters make sure EV drivers — regardless of what charging type they have on their vehicle — can access essentially any charging wherever they need it,” Ash said.
The multi-adapter shuffle comes as GM preps NACS for future vehicles like the 2026 Cadillac Optiq and 2027 Chevrolet Bolt. The wider shift to NACS across GM’s full 12 EV lineup has no set timeline yet.
Other automakers face similar headaches. Hyundai’s 2025 Ioniq 5 already ships with two adapters to bridge NACS and CCS chargers.
The transition isn’t just a GM quirk — it’s a standards clash. NACS uses two large pins for all charging speeds; CCS splits electricity through separate pins for Level 2 and fast charging. Combining both into one charger means more cost and complexity.
Charging mostly happens at home or work, so daily users will deal with predictable setups. But public charging could get messy fast. EV owners will need to keep adapters handy to avoid getting stranded. Expect prices north of $200 each.
This confusion echoes past connector wars. Apple cycled through three iPhone charging plugs in under two decades — but those adapters cost $30, and phones upgrade every few years. Cars last over a decade on average, parked with expensive, mismatched chargers.
GM’s Ash admits the bumpy adapter ride will drag on:
“The transition, Ash admitted, ‘will take some time.’”
Until then, get ready for a pocket full of dongles.
