facilitiesprocurementtechnology

Charging Port Standards and Procurement: What Departments Need to Know About NACS

UUnknown

2026-02-26

9 min read

NACS is reshaping EV charging in 2026. Learn how facilities, procurement, and IT should plan connector strategy, RFPs, and installation.

Hook: Your team needs reliable EV charging — fast. NACS is changing the landscape.

Facilities, procurement, and IT leaders are under pressure: employees and fleet drivers increasingly expect on-site EV charging, new vehicles ship with different ports, and budgets must stretch to meet both current and future needs. As of 2026, the rapid NACS (North American Charging Standard) adoption across OEMs — including new mainstream models like the 2026 Toyota C‑HR with a built‑in NACS port — makes this an urgent planning problem, not an optional upgrade.

Executive summary — what you must know first

Most important: NACS is now the dominant connector for many new EVs, and your charging infrastructure plan must reflect that shift. For departments, the core decisions are:

Choose a connector strategy (NACS-first with CCS support vs multi-standard)
Align procurement specs to interoperability, firmware/security, and service-level guarantees
Coordinate facilities, electrical capacity, utilities, and IT early to avoid costly delays
Plan for future growth (scalable power, energy management, and software integration)

Why NACS matters now (2026 trends)

In 2024–2026 the industry consolidated around NACS following Tesla's 2022 opening of the connector specification and major OEM commitments in subsequent years. By late 2025 and into 2026, more mainstream models — including lower‑cost EVs from legacy OEMs — have adopted built‑in NACS ports. That changes assumptions procurement teams used to make about compatibility.

Key market signals for 2026:

More OEMs ship vehicles with NACS ports as standard — reducing the share of CCS1 vehicles in some segments.
Charger manufacturers and network operators released NACS-enabled chargers or retrofit kits.
Utility and federal programs (NEVI and state incentives in the U.S.) continue funding deployments, often with standards and reporting requirements.
Software features like ISO 15118 plug‑and‑charge and advanced energy management are now expected in enterprise deployments.

How departments should think about connector strategy

Decide your connector strategy based on current and projected vehicle mix. There are three pragmatic approaches:

NACS-first: Deploy NACS chargers and offer CCS adapters or a small number of CCS ports for legacy vehicles. Best for fleets and sites where most new cars arriving in 2026+ will be NACS-equipped.
Multi-standard: Install chargers that natively support both NACS and CCS (or provide dual-handle DC fast chargers). Best for public-facing or mixed-fleet sites.
Adapter-focused: Install NACS and rely on manufacturer or third-party adapters for CCS users. Good short-term, but plan for adapters’ logistics and user support.

Recommendation: For workplace or fleet sites planning purchases in 2026, adopt NACS-first with CCS fallback unless traffic studies show heavy CCS demand.

Facilities planning: site, power, timeline

1. Site assessment (first 2–4 weeks)

Conduct a site survey with an electrical contractor to map existing panel capacity, transformer limits, and conduit paths.
Measure available parking, ADA requirements, lighting, and safety zones. Place chargers where CCTV/lighting and network access are available.
Estimate daily and peak vehicle throughput. Use that to size Level‑2 vs DC fast chargers and load-management needs.

2. Power upgrades and utility coordination (4–16 weeks+)

Most installations need at least minor upgrades; DC fast charging often requires significant transformer or service upgrades. Early utility engagement is essential to secure service upgrades, incentives, and interconnection timelines.

Ask utilities about demand charge mitigation programs and EV‑specific tariffs.
Leverage federal/state programs (NEVI in the U.S.) and local incentives that may offset hardware or installation costs.

3. Timeline realities

A simple Level‑2 campus deployment (8–16 ports) can take 8–12 weeks from design to commissioning; DC fast charger projects commonly take 12–36 weeks depending on utility work and permits. Plan schedules conservatively and include contingency for supply chain lead times (2026 still shows lead-time variability for high-power hardware).

Procurement: creating an RFP that reflects 2026 realities

Your RFP should be a tool to select a partner, not just hardware. Include technical, operational, and commercial requirements.

Critical RFP sections

Connector and interoperability: Require NACS‑compatible units and detail how CCS support will be provided (native, adapter, or mixed).
Standards compliance: OCPP support (version), ISO 15118 readiness, UL/ETL, and relevant local codes.
Network and software: Data access, open APIs, user authentication options (RFID, mobile, plug‑and‑charge), and billing models.
Security: TLS, certificate management, network segmentation, SOC‑like logging, and breach response times.
Service levels: Uptime guarantees, SLA credits, MTTR targets, spare parts availability, and on‑site response times.
Warranty and lifecycle: Parts and labor warranties (3–5 years baseline), expected MTBF, and upgrade path for future power increases.
Ownership and escrow: Clarify software/data ownership, what happens if the vendor exits the market, and standing provisions for remote firmware and security updates.

Sample evaluation matrix (scoring 0–5)

Hardware compatibility & future-proofing (20%)
Software & API openness (20%)
SLA, maintenance, and service footprint (20%)
Security & compliance (15%)
Cost (CAPEX + OPEX) and financing options (15%)
Local references & installation capacity (10%)

IT considerations — security, integration, and data

EV chargers are now IT devices. Treat them as endpoints in your enterprise architecture.

Network segmentation: Put chargers on a separate VLAN with strict firewall rules. Use a dedicated WAN or secure VPN for remote management.
Authentication & identity: Prefer ISO 15118 plug‑and‑charge or OAuth2/mobile authentication for better UX and reduced administrative overhead.
Data ownership & privacy: Define who owns charging session and driver data. Ensure compliance with privacy rules and internal data retention policies.
Logging & monitoring: Forward charger logs to SIEM or centralized monitoring. Define alerting thresholds for outages, firmware issues, and security events.
Firmware & patch management: Automate firmware updates in maintenance windows. Require vendors to support signed firmware and revert capability.

Costs and financial planning (2026 ranges and levers)

Costs vary by site, but use these 2026 ballpark ranges for initial budgeting. Include contingency for utility upgrades and permit delays.

Level‑2 chargers: $2,000–$8,000 per port hardware + $1,000–$6,000 installation per port depending on distance to panel.
DC fast chargers (50–350 kW): $30,000–$200,000 per charger hardware + $20,000–$300,000+ installation and utility upgrades.
Site electrical upgrades: $10,000–$500,000 depending on transformer upgrades and trenching.
Ongoing costs: Software/license fees, network connectivity, maintenance contracts, and energy costs (demand charges). Expect $200–$1,500+ per port/year.

Cost reduction levers: incentive programs, managed charging to reduce demand charges, on‑site storage (battery systems), and phased rollouts.

Operational design — user flow and maintenance

User experience

Clear signage for NACS and CCS lanes; include instructions for adapters where applicable.
Implement straightforward payment or access — company badge, app, or plug‑and‑charge.
Provide an escalation path (help line, on‑site contacts) and publish uptime targets for users.

Maintenance & warranty

Define preventive maintenance schedules and parts replacement plans.
Track telematics for warranty claims and end-of-life planning.

Vendor selection checklist — nine must-haves

Declared NACS compatibility and roadmap for ongoing support.
OCPP and open API support for integration with fleet/energy systems.
ISO 15118 plug‑and‑charge support (or clear upgrade path).
Demonstrated experience with similar-sized deployments and local references.
Clear SLA with MTTR, spare parts, and software update cadence.
Transparent pricing: CAPEX, installation, recurring fees, and cancellation terms.
Strong security practices: signed firmware, logging, incident response.
Data ownership clauses and simple data export mechanisms.
Financial stability or escrow for software/firmware in case vendor exits.

Case example (applied planning)

Scenario: A regional office (200 employees) plans to support a 30% EV adoption rate over three years and anticipates several new NACS-equipped models arriving in 2026.

Recommended plan:

Phase 1 (0–12 months): Deploy 12 Level‑2 NACS ports near preferred parking + 2 mixed DC fast chargers for fleet top‑ups. Include 4 CCS adapters for visitor use.
Phase 2 (12–36 months): Add another 12–24 Level‑2 ports, expand DC capacity with modular chargers, and add a 200 kWh battery buffer to reduce demand charges and support resiliency.
Procurement approach: Issue RFP requiring NACS compatibility, OCPP APIs, and ISO 15118 readiness. Score vendors heavily on SLAs and software openness.

Outcome: Reduced user complaints, predictable billing, and capacity to support both NACS-native vehicles and legacy CCS cars with minimal downtime.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for 100% vehicle fleet clarity — delays add cost. Plan for mixed fleets now.
Buying proprietary systems without APIs — creates vendor lock-in and integration headaches.
Underestimating utility timelines — permits and transformer upgrades are frequent bottlenecks.
Missing data ownership clauses — you should retain access to session and usage data.

"Deploy NACS-ready infrastructure where possible, but require openness and standards compliance. That combination minimizes risk and maximizes future flexibility."

Actionable checklist — 10 steps departments should take this quarter

Conduct a rapid site and vehicle mix assessment (2–4 weeks).
Engage an electrical contractor and contact your utility for capacity analysis.
Draft an RFP with NACS compatibility, OCPP, ISO 15118, and security requirements.
Identify available incentives and start grant/utility application processes.
Plan a pilot deployment (8–12 Level‑2 ports + 1–2 DC fast chargers if needed).
Define IT controls: VLAN, VPN, logging, and firmware policies.
Set SLA and maintenance expectations in contracts (MTTR, spare parts, remote diagnostics).
Arrange for user training, signage, and incident reporting procedures.
Include expansion budget and timeline for years 2–3; model energy costs with demand-charge scenarios.
Schedule a quarterly review for the first year to reassess vehicle mix and utilization.

Future predictions — plan for 2027 and beyond

Through 2027 we expect continued NACS adoption across North American OEM lineups, broader availability of high‑power NACS DC chargers, tighter integration of chargers with building energy management systems, and more commercial offerings for charger-as-a-service. Software openness and ISO 15118 plug‑and‑charge will become table stakes.

Final takeaways

NACS is now a core procurement requirement for most new deployments — plan accordingly.
Don't over‑optimize for today’s fleet mix; instead, prioritize scalability, standards, and vendor openness.
Coordinate facilities, procurement, and IT early to avoid timeline and cost blowouts.
Make security and data ownership non‑negotiable items in contracts.

Call to action

Ready to convert strategy into a reliable charging program? Download our department-ready RFP template and vendor scoring sheet, or contact our specialists to run a free 30‑minute site readiness review. Start your NACS-aligned procurement now and avoid being caught off-guard as 2026 EV fleets arrive.

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