Learn About the Charging Station Connectors

Common connectors include Type 1, Type 2 , CCS Combo 1 and 2, CHAdeMO, and Tesla. Many standard plug types are defined in IEC 62196-2 (for AC supplied power) and 62196-3 (for DC supplied power):

CHAdeMO (left); CCS Combo 2 (center);  Type 2 outlet (right)              Type 1 (left); NACS (center); Type 2 connector outlet (right)

• Type 1: single-phase AC vehicle coupler – SAE J1772/2009 automotive plug specifications

• Type 2: single- and three-phase AC vehicle coupler – VDE-AR-E 2623-2-2, SAE J3068, and GB/T 20234.2 plug specifications

• Type 3: DC fast charge couplers

• Configuration AA: CHAdeMO

• Configuration BB: GB/T 20234.3

• Configurations CC/DD: (reserved)

• Configuration EE: CCS Combo 1

• Configuration FF: CCS Combo 2

Connector designs listed in IEC 62196-2 and -3

CCS DC charging requires Powerline Communications (PLC). Two connectors are added at the bottom of Type 1 or Type 2 vehicle inlets and charging plugs to supply DC current. These are commonly known as Combo 1 or Combo 2 connectors. The choice of style inlets is normally standardized on a per-country basis so that public chargers do not need to fit cables with both variants. Generally, North America uses Combo 1 style vehicle inlets, while most of the rest of the world uses Combo 2.

The CHAdeMO standard is favored by Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota, while the SAE J1772 Combo standard is backed by GM, Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, and Hyundai. Both systems charge to 80% in approximately 20 minutes, but the two systems are completely incompatible.