Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis electric vehicles were seen at a Tesla Supercharger station in San Clemente Outlet, sparking speculation that an announcement to join Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) may be imminent.
The company previously said it was considering joining NACS, which has already been adopted by major automakers.
The information was initially shared on Reddit by u/Baayta on Friday, who observed the cars during a photo shoot at the charging station.
“They told me they work for Hyundai. Given that Hyundai HQ is only 20 miles north, I believed them,” said u/Baayta. The Reddit user also noted that the vehicles were using older Version 2 stalls at the 49-stall station, suggesting they were not obstructing other users.
Another Reddit user commented on the appearance of the yet-to-be-released EV9 SUV from Hyundai, stating, “This is perfect since the EV9 is a much sharper SUV than Tesla’s offerings.”
The photo shoot involved placing chargers in the vehicles’ ports to simulate charging, although it was clarified that the cars were not actually being charged. “Here’s a better picture of the thingy coming out of the GV60 charge port to fake the charging for the photo,” Baayta added.
The sighting has led to questions about whether Hyundai and its sister brands are preparing to adopt Tesla’s charging standard, especially given the proximity of Hyundai’s headquarters to the San Clemente Outlet Supercharger. It also raises queries about the charging capabilities of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, as some Reddit users pointed out the availability of faster charging options for these brands.
The companies have not yet made an official announcement regarding any partnership with Tesla’s NACS.
