Will there be an OBD port? What do other EV's have?

[bartflossom]

Way back I used to use an old 7" android tablet, a bluetooth obd adapter and an app called Torque to show all vital gauges and other info like mileage. Used it on a trip or two in the wife's car. Do other EV's have obd ports and if so, what info do they report? Engine RPM and temp maybe?

 

[Duke Slater]

Definitely. Plus a built in oil change reminder!

 

[skidoofast]

Some EVs have the standard port, some dont, not sure that you’d get the dashboard look like you could with an internal combustion engine

that type of info could possibly be available on your phone app or tablet app

 

[carsonstuart]

I have an OBD port on my Kia EV6. I have attached a Bluetooth scanner to the port to allow the ABRP (A Better Route Planner) app full access to the battery status. ABRP is much better than the Kia OEM software for charger station recommendations.

 

[TikiCaster]

My Leaf had and my Fiat 500e has ODB-II ports. There was a cool app called Leaf Spy that would show you all sorts of battery stats.

 

[Trace26]

I was under the impression that the OBDII port was mandatory by the Federal government.

 

[AZFox]

I was under the impression that the OBDII port was mandatory by the Federal government.

It's mandatory for ICE vehicles.

It's not legally mandated for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) because it was designed primarily for monitoring emissions.

.... for now. However,

OBD2 diagnostics will be required for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the United States, starting with the 2026 model year. This requirement is being implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as part of its Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC2) protocol, which mandates that all BEVs, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and plug-in hybrids sold in California between 2026 and 2035 must have a standardized diagnostic system similar to the OBD-II standard.​

 

[seaflyer]

I believe that I saw that the Slate app will give you codes, so maybe not a separate OBD2 port needed.

 

[AZFox]

I believe that I saw that the Slate app will give you codes, so maybe not a separate OBD2 port needed.

While the app may show codes, a mechanic can't be expected to run the Slate app.

Expect some sort of universal port for diagnostics.

Apparently a universal port (SAE J1962 "Diagnostic Connector") is required by California's Advanced Clean Cars II protocol.

§ 1962.5. Data Standardization Requirements for 2026 and Subsequent Model Year Light-Duty Zero Emission Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

 

[seaflyer]

You are probably right.It would be easy enough to incorporate that connection port into the vehicle and satisfy any legal requirements

 

[beatle]

Apparently a universal port (SAE J1962 "Diagnostic Connector") is required by California's Advanced Clean Cars II protocol.

The SAE J1962 is the OBD2 port we all know for the past 30 years. This new regulation is partially in response to manufacturers (Tesla) putting the "real" diagnostic port in an inaccessible location with a proprietary connector. It also standardizes the info available via the OBD2 port, and the software protocol used to read it.

When I had my 2015 and 2019 Model S, I needed a special adapter cable and ScanMyTesla software (though the software was free) to read detailed data about the car. I even needed different cables for each car since the proprietary port changed. The cars both actually had OBD2 ports but they were kind of useless. It was actually pretty cool to see so much info about the car, especially for someone whose newest vehicle at the time was from 2007. The new standard says you should be able to get robust data out of an OBD2 port on an EV that is always accessible from the driver's seat - without special online software - just like an ICE vehicle.