Tesla announced a new plan to make the electronics in cars simpler and cheaper by introducing a Low-Voltage Connector Standard (LVCS). This follows the company’s previous North American Charging Standard (NACS), which the majority of automakers in Canada and the US have adopted.
Right now, the average car needs more than 200 different electrical connections, and the number keeps growing with every new model. Tesla’s goal is to streamline this process by cutting the number of connector types to just six, covering 90% of typical device needs.
This change is part of Tesla’s effort to boost manufacturing efficiency and speed up the transition to sustainable energy. Standardizing these connectors will also help automate production and cut costs.
LVCS builds on the 48V electronic architecture used in the Cybertruck, which Tesla says is more efficient—it uses only one-fourth of the current to provide the same power. The connectors come in an industry-standard light blue color and are designed with special features like single wire sealing and secondary locking mechanisms to improve reliability for autonomous vehicles.
Tesla is encouraging other automakers and suppliers to adopt this new standard to create more consistent, efficient manufacturing across the industry. For questions, companies can reach out directly at LVCS@Tesla.com.