ChargePoint Omni Port Adds EV Adapter to Charging Stations

As electric vehicles continue to make up a larger share of the millions of new vehicles sold every year, more consumers are gaining firsthand experience with the U.S. charging wars. Tesla uses one type of plug at its charging stations, and until recently, every other automaker used a different kind. Adapters that allow drivers to use otherwise incompatible chargers are available — picture a super-sized version of the adapter you need for outlets overseas — but now ChargePoint is circumventing that need with its Omni Port.

Related: When Will All Fast-Charging Stations Be Open to All EVs?

Drivers pulling up to a ChargePoint location with the Omni Port will only need to enter their vehicle’s make and model into the ChargePoint app, and the charger will release the cable with the appropriate adapter already in place. If you don’t want to use the app, you can select your vehicle using the screen on the charger itself. This will make ChargePoint chargers accessible to all EVs, whereas before, drivers either needed to carry an adapter with them or find a charger with a compatible plug.

The Power of Now

ChargePoint is manufacturing Omni Port chargers now and will begin shipping them to its existing chargers by the end of the year. Capable of adapting to both Level 2 and DC fast chargers, the Omni Port is compatible with electrical architectures as powerful as 800 volts. That means vehicles with the most powerful onboard chargers on the market today will be able to replenish their batteries at the maximum possible rate.

ChargePoint is currently the largest public charging network in the U.S., but threats to its market leadership are numerous. Tesla opened its charging network to other brands in 2023, and in just over a year, every single automaker in the U.S. had signed agreements giving drivers of their EVs access to the single largest fast-charging network in the country. However, many of those agreements do not take effect until 2025 or 2026. Moreover, Tesla’s network encompasses some 36,000 individual charging ports (including Level 2 destination chargers and Superchargers), while ChargePoint operates more than 64,000 plugs.

Then there’s Ionna, the multinational conglomerate formed by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota. Ionna will be opening its first charging stations soon with the goal of operating more than 30,000 plugs by 2030. While Ionna and access to the Tesla network hold great promise for the future, the relative ease of retrofitting the Omni Port to existing chargers should help ChargePoint maintain its position as a major player in public EV charging.

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• Tesla to Open Charging Network to All EVs Following New Federal Regs

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