Understanding the various EV charging connector types is vitally important for owners and anyone involved with charging stations. There are multiple standards and connector types which vary based on region.
North America manufacturers typically utilize the J1772 (commonly referred to as Mennekes). Europeans utilize the CCS combo DC plug, which combines Mennekes with two additional DC fast charging pins.
Type 1
There are various electric vehicle (EV) charging connector types depending on where in the world you reside, which can be classified by their ability to deliver AC and DC power, how fast they charge, and whether there is an automatic locking mechanism built-in. Plugs that offer this service range from the classic General Motors EV1 paddle chargers all the way through to modern CCS Combo 1 devices.
The Type 1 plug, commonly referred to as the J Plug or SAE J1772-2001 connector can be found on older electric cars and hybrids like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf 2012. It has five pins that don’t lock securely into place so they are easily dislodged from their sockets.
Type 2 plugs feature a seven-pin design and are the standard in Europe. Sometimes referred to as Mennekes connectors (after their creator in Germany), these plugs can accommodate AC charging points up to 350kW and feature resistors to help facilitate smooth charging processes.
Most untethered charging points found in European homes are Type 2, as are many public AC charging stations located throughout Australia, often at workplaces or shopping malls. These chargers feature seven-pin top connectors with dual pin options at the bottom for DC fast charging capabilities.
Type 2 is currently the standard across many countries and most newer EVs come equipped with it as standard. Tesla uses their own proprietary charging connector but also offers an adapter to use at Type 2 stations; for those living in Australia driving a Type 1 electric car you will require an adapter in order to charge at charging points.
Type 2
This charging connector is the most widely used. Similar to what can be found on most cell phone chargers, it allows both AC and DC charging as well as rapid DC charging – shown by purple icons on our live desktop map of public EV charge stations.
This plug, known as SAE J3068 or European EVE-EV DC fast charger connector, consists of seven pins with their top flattened. Also referred to as Mennekes plug or European EVE-EV DC fast charger connector, it was designed to accommodate single and three phase AC current as well as DC fast charging, making it the standard connector for new EVs in Europe. There is an additional variant which adds two DC fast charging pins at the bottom – commonly referred to as CCS Combo 1.
Most electric cars come equipped with the standard connector for their market, making them easily rechargeable at any Type 2 station. There are some exceptions, however; such as Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrids use CHAdeMO plugs while Tesla vehicles utilize NACS cables that must be adapted with an adapter before being charged at fast DC chargers.
CHAdeMO connectors are incompatible with CCS plugs, but CharIN, an association behind them, has been working on a version which will support both types of charging. Their new design should be ready for commercial use by 2025 as an open specification allowing anyone to construct and sell one; meaning new DC fast chargers will soon become widely available across global markets.
GB/T
China’s standard connector for electric vehicle charging, the GB/T plug is a ten-pin connector capable of up to 20kW charging capacity. As one of the world’s largest EV markets, China is also developing its own fast charging standards; one such standard being ChaoJi which combines features from CCS and CHAdeMO fast chargers into one convenient package.
GB/T plugs are physically identical to Type 2 plugs, yet their internal cables are arranged differently. Furthermore, this system employs unique signaling that differs from IEC 62196-2 and SAE J1772 standards; its CC signal informs vehicles when charging is taking place while its CS pin serves to stop current flow if locking lever on plug is operated.
As with other charging connectors, the GB/T EV charger links directly to a battery through a conductive pathway. There are both AC and DC versions; AC versions feature male plugs on EVSE side with female counterparts in vehicle for charging; unlike Type 1 and 2 plugs however it doesn’t support simultaneous AC/DC charging.
GB/T is China’s national standard for electric vehicle charging connectors, overseen by the Guobiao Standardization Commission. As its only use exists within China’s borders, its rapid development of an EV industry is due to this standard’s continued usage there; however, other charging systems used outside of China such as CCS used by European and American manufacturers or CHAdeMO in Japan do not match up; adapters exist so GB/T EVs can use other types of charging connectors.
CCS
Due to an array of charging connector types across Europe, Asia, and North America, new electric car owners often find themselves wondering whether their home charger or on-road rapid charging station will work with their particular car model.
There are some clear distinctions to help guide you. Here are the main EV charging connector types:
Type 1 – Many consumers first encountered the Type 1 plug while browsing mainstream EVs, commonly referred to as SAE J1772 connector. There is a variant with two DC fast charging pins at the bottom known as CCS Combo 1 that can accommodate up to 350 kW of power; additionally it retains AC contacts on its upper portion so non-CCS DC charging still works for your car.
CHAdeMO – Although this plug has been around for some time, electric car manufacturers are moving away from it in favor of CCS fast charging technology. CCS features 10 pins that incorporate DC fast charging capabilities while its communication pin (CP pin) enables bi-directional communication between electric car and charging system including how charged up your battery is.
Tesla- Automaker Tesla utilizes their own connector, compatible with all charging speeds and Supercharger stations, that works specifically with their Supercharger stations. Their standard plug has notches that prevent it from fitting in non-Tesla sockets – however they have made their EVs compatible with CCS Combo 1 and CHAdeMO so that they may utilize all chargers available to them.
Tesla Supercharger
The Tesla Supercharger plug is an innovative plug that combines AC and DC charging technologies in one plug, known as J1772 Type 1 or Type 2 plug with two additional pins for DC fast charging (also referred to as level 3). While other charging stations convert current into DC in your car, Supercharger handles this conversion internally for faster battery charging than traditional stations.
Most Tesla models feature a Type 2 plug that’s compatible with AC charging as well as their extensive destination charger network, while some newer Model S and X models have CCS pins to take advantage of public rapid chargers – though non-Tesla EV drivers may use these stations using an adapter; but only up to their maximum charge capacity will it accept.
China’s national standard, GB/T, can also be found at some DC fast charging stations across China. This plug resembles that used in Europe – Mennekes-style. With single phase input support of up to 7.4kW of output capacity.
CHAdeMO fast-charging standard has since been superseded by CCS plug in most North American markets; however, some Tesla owners still prefer using them in Europe and Japan – some use adapters from Tesla to connect to CHAdeMO DC chargers; however there’s an easier solution available: Tesla has developed its own Type 4 connector that can connect either directly with a CHAdeMO DC charger, or via adapters directly with CCS plug at certain destination chargers.