Got my “official” GM NACS to CCS1 adapter yesterday and made a test run this morning. It works. The experience wasn’t as seamless as hyped, but it worked—eventually.
The $230 adapter arrived from GM by FedEx. It enables a CCS1 car such as our 2020 Bolt to fast charge at select Tesla Supercharger locations. The adapter came in a box labeled with GM’s logo, but the adapter itself is plain Jane. There’s no GM or Chevy branding on the adapter, only the specs, serial number, and a quick code. It looks like the ones Ford was shipping several months ago.
The worst possible time to experiment with a new tool or adapter is when you need it—in this case on a road trip where success charging is all important. So I had to try it out first thing this morning.
I drove across town to the nearest suitable Tesla station identified in the Tesla app. The station and its 20 dispensers was busy for a weekday, probably half the stalls were in use.
The charge port on the Bolt is on the driver’s side front fender, not the driver’s side rear as on a Tesla. The charge cables are also very short. Consequently, I had to find two open dispensers side by side. Cars such as ours take up two spaces not just one. Even so you have to pull up very close to the dispenser for the cable to reach.
I tried 2D, followed the instructions, plugged the Tesla cable into the adapter, and then plugged the assembly into the car. I waited the two minutes the app suggested may be necessary and nothing happened. Eventually I received an error message that the dispenser couldn’t detect the car. Bummer.
Then I moved to kiosk 3A and went through the same process. This time I heard the welcome “clunk” when the car locks the plug in place. Then I heard the beep and subsequently saw the dash light illuminated, indicating charging had begun.
There’s no display on Tesla’s dispensers. So I got in and turned the car on to see how much it was charging. All was good. The kiosk was dispensing an expected 15 kW because my state of charge was ~90%.
GM’s NACS to CCS1 adapter now joins my Tesla destination charger adapter and other emergency gear that I always carry in the car. I may never use it again, but if I need it someday, I now have it and I know how to use it.
You can find similar adapters for less. A2Z’s Typhoon Pro and Lectron’s Vortex adapters cost about $200 online. Several YouTube influencers offer discounts through their channels. Check out Tom Moloughney’s State of Charge channel and Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield’s Transport Evolved for their respective discount codes.
However, be wary of much cheaper adapters. They could be dangerous to you and your car. Remember, there’s a lot of juice flowing through that adapter. You don’t want any mistakes.
