The all-new Thunderstorm Lite Plug charging adapter from A2Z EV is further proof that necessity is the mother of invention. It helps to solve a very specific EV charging issue related to bi-directional residential charging stations.

The Issue

Normally, home AC charging stations are equipped with a SAE J1772 connector or a NACS (SAE J3400) connector. Some of them have a built-in adapter so both standards are supported. If not, one can also use a separate adapter — J1772-to-NACS or NACS-to-J1772 — to charge any EV on the market.

However, there are AC charging stations with CCS1 connectors, too. These are bi-directional charging stations, such as the Ford Charge Station Pro and GM Energy PowerShift charger.

They have a full CCS1 plug because they are used for two scenarios:

• AC charging (using the top SAE J1772 pins)
• Transferring DC electricity from a car to a home inverter (vehicle-to-home application) using CCS1’s bottom DC pins (see State Of Charge’s presentation for Ford’s Intelligent Backup Power System and for GM’s Home Energy System)

Until an EV has a CCS1 charging inlet, AC charging can be done without a problem. The issue is that once a NACS-equipped EV arrives (all Teslas and new EVs from other manufacturers), they become incompatible. The plug is CCS1 while the inlet is NACS, and you can’t use a standard J1772-to-NACS charging adapter because it does not fit into the CCS1 connector (a piece of plastic in the middle blocks the adapter).

Our very own Tom Moloughney explains it in the latest State Of Charge video.

A standard J1772-to-NACS charging adapter does not fit the Ford Charge Station Pro’s CCS1 plug. (Source: State Of Charge)

The Solution

A2Z EV has just launched a solution for NACS EV charging from the Ford Charge Station Pro, featuring a new charging adapter: the A2Z Thunderstorm Lite adapter.

It resembles a standard CCS1-to-NACS adapter (for DC charging), but it’s actually a CCS1(AC)-to-NACS adapter for AC charging. It does not support DC charging.

According to A2Z EV, the A2Z Thunderstorm Lite adapter has a maximum power of 19.2 kW (80 amps at 240 volts) and is compatible with Ford Charge Station Pro and GM Energy PowerShift charging stations:

• Rated Amperage : 80A.
• Rated Voltage : 100~1000VDC.
• Conductor Material : Silver plated copper.
• Contact resistance : 5 mΩ.
• Shell Material : UL-94-V0 PA66.
• Operating Temperature : -30°C to 50°C.
• Security : Dual temperature sensor switch.
• Sealing gasket : Silicon rubber.
• Locking : locking pin retains the CCS1 latch in place.
• Degree of protection : IP54 (mating) & IP67 (enclosing).

The price of the A2Z Thunderstorm Lite adapter is $97, but with the STATEOFCHARGE coupon code, one can save 5% and support State Of Charge.

The A2Z Thunderstorm Lite Plug: CCS1(AC)-to-NACS adapter. (Source: A2Z EV)

The introduction of an all-new type of CCS1(AC)-to-NACS adapter highlights the current complexity of charging, with two charging standards (CCS1 and NACS), two charging scenarios (AC and DC), and additional corner cases.

By the way, A2Z EV also has a solution for the CCS1 charging of the Tesla Cybertruck (a special adapter).

On one hand, charging a NACS EV from a Ford Charge Station Pro and GM Energy PowerShift is a very specific use case, but it’s growing because Ford and GM are selling or providing thousands of such charging stations. As customers will move to NACS-compatible EVs, an adapter like the A2Z Thunderstorm Lite Plug might be a solution.

At the end of the video, Tom Moloughney also mentioned some other adapters for mixed AC and DC charging scenarios, but this type is not recommended due to safety concerns. State Of Charge recommends using two separate charging adapters: one for AC and one for DC charging.