Aptera Suggests US Gov Choose Tesla's Plug And Superchargers As Standard

It has been clear for some time that Aptera is a fan of Tesla's small and streamlined plug, and now it's taking action.

By: Steven Loveday

Jul 13, 2022 at 11:18am ET

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Electric vehicle startup automaker Aptera has taken to social media and started an official Change.org campaign in an attempt to get US lawmaker support for Tesla's charging connector and Supercharger network. The emerging company hopes Congress will consider making Tesla's equipment the standard across the US EV industry.

Tesla created its proprietary plug and network at a time when there wasn't really any standard in the EV industry. Since then, CCS has become the standard across the globe, though many EV owners seem to prefer Tesla's smaller, lighter, and more streamlined plug over the bulkier plugs used for non-Tesla EVs.

As you can see, Aptera is using its Twitter account to promote Tesla's charging connector. Moreover, founders Chris Anthony and Steve Fambro have taken to Change.org to get support to encourage US Congress to officially adopt Tesla's charging connector and Supercharger DC fast-charging network as the US standard going forward. A portion of the petition reads:

"If you agree that Tesla’s charging standards are good for EVs and the U.S., please help. Sign this petition and encourage decision-makers in Congress to adopt Tesla’s charging standards and connectors as the U.S. industry standard."

We've reported on a number of occasions that Aptera appears to be using some Tesla parts for its EVs, and that the charging port on its vehicles suggests they will accept a Tesla connector. More recently, we reported that it appears Aptera is actually planning to use Tesla's charging connector on its solar EVs, and it's encouraging other automakers to follow suit.

For those unaware, Aptera is producing a fully electric solar-powered three-wheeled EV that's highly efficient. The company says its ultra-lightweight and incredibly aerodynamic electric vehicle will be able to travel up to 1,000 miles on a single charge.

As Electrek notes, even though the charging connector and the car's charging components as a whole are just a small part of an EV, they still factor into the weight of the vehicle. For this reason, it makes sense that Aptera would be leaning toward Tesla's small and lightweight connector.

Aptera believes that CCS and J1772 standards are too large and expensive when compared to Tesla's light, efficient, and stylish system. Its founders go on to suggest that our country must adopt Tesla's Supercharger network and charging connector standard in order to achieve its goal of having 50 percent of US car sales be EVs by 2030.

What do you think?

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Aptera also adds that the US will be able to expand charging infrastructure more quickly and at a much lower cost if it moves forward with making Tesla's equipment the standard going forward.

What do you think? Do you agree with Aptera? Regardless, will Congress ever consider moving forward with such a plan? Start a conversation in our comment section below.