u/AgitatedArticle7665

So you just got your bZ, opened the trunk, and found two little adapters. You’re thinking “do I actually need these?”

Yes. Keep them. Here’s why.
Quick background on why there are TWO
Your bZ has a NACS port (the Tesla-style plug, technically called the SAE J3400 standard). The beauty of NACS is that it handles everything (Level 1, Level 2 AC charging, and Level 3 DCFC) all through one port.

The old standards weren’t built that way.
J-1772 was designed for AC charging only (Level 1/2). CCS (Combined Charging System) added a second set of pins below the J-1772 connector specifically to handle DC fast charging. Different pins, different physical connector, different adapter needed. (There is also a CHAmeDO port out there mostly for the Nissan Leaf, don’t worry about that one)

That’s why you have two. One for J-1772 AC stations, one for CCS DC fast chargers. They do different things.

“But isn’t everything going NACS now?”
Mostly, yes, new installs are trending that way. But there are tens of thousands of J-1772 and CCS stations already in the ground across the country. Parking garages, hotels, workplaces, older public networks.

Those aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Lose your adapters and you’ve just cut yourself off from a huge chunk of the charging network. These aren’t $5 replacements either.

TL;DR
•NACS = one port, handles AC & DC ✅
•J-1772 and CCS = different pin configurations = two separate adapters
•Legacy stations aren’t disappearing, hold onto both

Past Posts
-Intro to charging Levels
-Level 1/2 Home charging
-Level 3/DCFC

Up next Apps, Apps, Apps

Anyone put a tow hitch on their bZ? The dealership I got mine from was not familiar with installing them for this model and curious if anyone has had any insight or successes?

Last time we discussed the home charging, now moving on to fast charging Level 3/DCFC. (DCFC - Direct Current Fast Charging).

This is the closest charging experience to filling up your car with gas, but I encourage you to change your mentality and try to find more options for level 2 (home/work) charging. It is a far more rewarding experience in my opinion.

The nice thing about your 2026 bz is it has the NACS port, which means it’s the same cord as your Level 2 charging. But there are a bunch of differences with Level 3/DCFC charging that can impact your charging speed.

Charging Curve
Unlike, level 2 charging your level 3/DCFC has what is called a charging curve. When your battery is low it will charge faster than when it gets closer to 80%, and once you get to 80% you will see the charging rate drop dramatically. While charging 80 to 100% is faster than a level 2 charger but it may take as long as it took to go from 10 to 80%.

Charging your battery is impacted by temperatures. The battery has advance tools to help manage the temperature and health of your cars battery. It will determine the speed your car can handle charging. A cold battery take longer to charge than a warm battery, likewise when the battery becomes too hot it will slow down the charging.

To that point make sure you precondition your battery before charging when it is cold either by: using the onboard navigation to a level 3/DCFC or manually from the menus.

Bottom line: For road trips, plan to stop around 10–20% and leave around 80%. DCFC is fast when you need it, but it’s a tool not a habit. Your bZ will handle the rest with its built-in battery management.

Past Posts
-Home Charging
-Into to charging levels

Next topic adapters

Charging at home changes the landscape of owning an EV. You can leave fully charged each and every time. But having a charger that works for you is important.

There is a wonderful Reddit community r/evcharging that has lots of in-depth information including best chargers out there, important information about wiring (hardwired vs outlet) and load management. I will try to give you some high level information here but for more detailed questions I encourage you to use that subreddit and check out their wiki.

As previously mentioned home charging consists of level 1 or 2 charging. It is unlikely both logistically and cost that you would ever have a level 3/DCFC charger at home. Installing a home level 3/DCFC easily run into the $100,000+ range. It’s not worth it.

Level 1 charging is using your standard 15amp/120v outlet. You get about 1.2kW charging or 3miles/hour of charging. For many being home and charging like this overnight will give you over 30 miles of range and can be enough for your daily needs. Just plug in when you get home and unplug when you leave in the morning.

Level 2 charging utilizes a 240v circuit. There is more variability in the level 2 charging on how fast you can charge as how many amps your charger operates at. (Amps x Volts)/1000=kW which is your charging speed. The 2026 bZ has a 74.7 kWh battery, it takes more than 74.7 kWh to fully charge 0-100% because there is consumption of energy to operate the onboard electronics during charging.

The charger that comes with your 2026 bZ has a NEMA 14-50 plug that allows you perform level 2 charging. You may also be interested in installing a home charger and keeping the bZ charger in your car for your traveling needs.

A couple quick things to think about installing a level 2 charger: rebates, 80% rule, and hardwire vs outlet.

Many states/city/county/utilities offer rebates for EV chargers. Check what’s available, at it may help save money. Often times these programs encourage you to charge off peak hours by incentivizing you with cheaper rates. They sometimes have programs that allows the utility to throttle your charging speed during times of high demand.

80% rule is an important concept for electrical safety. Basically EV chargers operate at a constantly high amp rate. This can be taxing on electrical wiring since most electronic devices have variable electrical needs during their uses. The 80% rules is to protect the wiring/circuit. If you want to install a 40amp charger you need to have a 50amp circuit. (50amp x 80% = 40amp).

Hardwire vs Outlet, the general consensus is hardwiring your charger is safer as plugging/unplugging your charger overtime damages the outlet. The 14-50 outlet has largely become the go to outlet of choice for plug in level 2 chargers (like the one that comes with your 2026 bZ). If you do go this route make sure to get a quality receptacle (EV rated).

The Electrical Code is evolving and continues to have evolving guidance also about GFCI and other considerations. It is best for installing a level 2 charger to consult an electrician unless you are familiar. The risk of doing this wrong is an electrical fire. The value of your house well exceeds that of your car.

There are many level 2 chargers/EVSE out there. They can be simple devices or have advance features WiFi enabled, load management and scheduling. Home charging offers a wonderful option to ensure your bZ is fully charged and ready for the road each day.

Next post the fun of level 3/DCFC. Future posts involve charging apps and adapters.

Past posts
-[Charging Levels Intro - Level 1,2,3/DCFC]

EDIT - reinforce NEMA 14-50 outlet should be EV rated

Does Toyota USA publish monthly sales data or just quarterly?

The biggest thing to learn about your new Electric Vehicle (EV) is charging. The single biggest change from owning an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

Typically people discuss three different charging levels.

-Level 1 - Uses your 120v outlet and is the slowest charging option. It can fully charge your car over several days (~50 hours), but if you are driving less than 30 miles in a day, this may be all you need to keep your car fully charged. Your 2026 bZ comes with a Level 1 charger.

-Level 2 - A faster option than level 1, this uses a 240v outlet, which can deliver charging speed multiple times faster than level 1. Later on I go into a little more detail about the range of charging speed possible with level 2 charging. You have now dropped fully charged time to less than a day, and often overnight. This is a great option for home if you can install a charger/outlet. The level 1 charger that comes with your 2026 bZ also has a NEMA 14-50 plug (which is a 240v outlet) option for level 2 charging.

-Level 3/DCFC - The fastest option out there with fully charging your car in less than an hour and now under ideal circumstances can do your 2026 bZ from 10-80 in 30 minutes. This is great for road trips but often far more expensive and ideally not your main way to charge your vehicle.

A little more on Level 1/2, these from your car internal perspective are the same. The “charger” you use is actually called an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) and there is an onboard charger that converts the AC voltage provided into DC voltage to charge the main battery. But I’m not going to correct you when you call it a charger. Level 3/DCFC delivers the charge directly to the battery bypassing the onboard charger.

The speed you charge is related to voltage and amps, but simply how many kW your charger/EVSE outputs (Volt x Amps / 1000 = kW). The more kW the faster you charge. The 2026 bZ can handle up to 11kW (48amp charging at 240v).

I’ll dive into home charging more with my next post, with later posts on level 3/DCFC, apps, and adapters. As always, leave a request for future topics in the comments.

EDIT - Made clarifications on level 2 to reflect that charging rates are multiple times faster than level 1.

I saw a post recently here about how there are a bunch of newer people to the EV landscape with how much buzz the Toyota BZ is getting and that there is a learning curve to electric vehicles. I wanted to join in their series to help people learn about some of the differences of an ICE (internal combustion engine) and BEV (Battery electric vehicle).

I was thinking of doing a series on charging, different levels 1-3, safety considerations and tips for DCFC/Level. Maybe work into some other subjects depending on interest.

About myself I’m somewhat of a geek, on my second EV car, so by no ways an expert but would say well read and informed about EVs. I learned a lot about charging curves, battery preconditioning, OBDC dongles and winter impacts I. My several years with my last EV (IONIQ5)

Are there any other topics of interest?