Electric Vehicle Charging Payments Glossary
Electric Vehicle Charging Payments Glossary

The U.S. Payments Forum Electric Vehicle Charging Glossary defines a common set of terms and standards that support clear understanding of electric vehicle (EV) charging payments across the industry. Focused on terminology relevant to payment approaches, this resource promotes consistency in how stakeholders communicate about this rapidly evolving area of commerce.

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North American Charging Standard (NACS)
The North American Charging Standard (NACS), created by Tesla in 2012, is a unified electric vehicle connector system replacing the Combined Charging System (CCS) across North America. It combines AC charging and high-speed DC fast charging into one compact, lightweight plug. Automakers began adopting NACS in 2023, leading to official SAE standardization in 2024 and widespread factory integration starting in 2025.

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