'The Lights Aren't Flashing!': Dallas Woman Buys Hummer EV. Then She Tries to Charge It

"The plug clicked. The screen said "charging." But the lights weren't flashing, so was it really working? Welcome to the sometimes-baffling learning curve of EV ownership, where even success can look like failure. Creator and model Natalie Gauvreau (@sngvip) gives voice to the guessing games and uncertainty of charging an EV in a viral TikTok clip shot recently near Dallas."

"The core of the Hummer EV frustration lies in the clash and evolving bridge between two EV charging ecosystems: the Combined Charging System (CCS) and Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS). Most non‑Tesla EVs in North America, including GM models like the Hummer EV, use the J1772 connector for Level 2 charging and the CCS1 connector for DC fast charging. Tesla vehicles, on the other hand, utilize the thinner, single‑connector NACS port, which supports both AC and DC charging through the same interface."

"This mismatch means that, for now, a CCS1-equipped Hummer EV needs a GM-approved NACS DC adapter and a Supercharger site that's open to non-Tesla vehicles to charge at Tesla stations. Access is handled through GM/Tesla app authorization at participating V3/V4 locations. If the external lights don't flash, that alone doesn't confirm failure. GM indicates flashing green means charging, while other states (e.g., solid blue) can indicate "connected, not yet charging.""

An EV owner experienced uncertainty when a Hummer EV showed "charging" on-screen while external lights did not flash, creating confusion about whether charging was occurring. The root cause is the difference between CCS/J1772 connectors used by most non-Tesla EVs and Tesla's NACS single-port standard. A CCS1-equipped Hummer EV requires a GM-approved NACS DC adapter plus GM/Tesla app authorization to use participating V3/V4 Supercharger sites. External light indicators vary by state—flashing green typically means charging, while solid blue can mean connected but not yet charging. GM offers a purchasable adapter for around $225.

Read at InsideEVs