This new charger lets all EVs plug in without an adapter

Enlarge / The new ChargePoint Omni Port is actually a pair of cables. (credit: ChargePoint)

Last year, a remarkable thing happened in the car world. Just as it looked like everyone other than Tesla had settled on an industry-standard charging plug, the industry moved en masse to the smaller, more elegant plug designed by Tesla.

But native ports won't start showing up in non-Tesla EVs until next year, and more than half of the EVs already on North American roads use J1776 (for AC) and CCS1 (for DC) charge ports. For many drivers, the future will probably involve keeping an adapter in the trunk. ChargePoint's Omni Port, which debuted this morning, will let drivers forget about their dongles.

"With Omni port, ChargePoint solved the challenges associated with a multiple-connector environment, ensuring Tesla and non-Tesla drivers can continue to expect a world-class driver experience. We are giving drivers and site hosts assurance that ChargePoint will continue to meet all their charging needs now and in the future,” said Rick Wilmer, ChargePoint CEO.