Charging plug of electric vehicles

Type 1 is a charging type for electric vehicles for charging single-phase alternating current (AC).

Type 1 is now considered obsolete and has been almost completely replaced by Type 2 in Europe.
Mostly vehicles of Asian origin or older US vehicles support type 1.
Some vehicles from French manufacturers also equipped their vehicles with them.

In public areas there are almost no more charging stations that are equipped with a type 1 socket or plug.
Using type 2 to type 1 charging cable (available in the shop), vehicles that are equipped with type 1 on the vehicle side can also charge at charging stations with a type 2 socket.

In contrast to type 2, there is no actuator lock for type 1, but some manufacturers equip their vehicles so that they hold the plug separately.

Today there are only a few newly available vehicles that use type 1.

The following charging capacities are common in practice:

– 3.7 kW (16A) single phase (unbalanced load limit AT)
– 4.6 kW (20A) single phase (unbalanced load limit DE)
– 7.4 kW (32A) single phase

Known vehicles that use the Type 1 standard are:

– Nissan LEAF 24 kWh, Nissan LEAF 30 kWh, Nissan eNV 200
– triplets (Peugeot iON, Citroen C-Zero, Mitsubishi iMIEV)
– Kia Soul EV

Type 1 (AC)

Type 2 has become the most widely used standard for charging electric vehicles in Europe.
Most public charging stations support this standard.
It is charged with alternating current / three-phase current (AC).

Whether as a socket for connecting your own (type 2) charging cable or as a version with an already existing cable:
Type 2 loads most vehicles on the market – new vehicles support the standard as well as some older ones.

Tesla also uses a modified Type 2 connector to charge its Model S and Model X electric vehicles at the Supercharger charging stations – however, direct current (DC) is used here. Newer models and Model 3 also have the option of charging directly via Combo 2 (CCS).

In private as well as public areas, type 2 charging stations are indispensable.
They make up a large part of the entire charging infrastructure in Europe.

The following charging capacities are common in practice:

– 3.7 kW (16A) single phase (unbalanced load limit AT)
– 4.6 kW (20A) single phase (unbalanced load limit DE)
– 11 kW (16A) three-phase
– 22 kW (32A) three-phase
– 43 kW (63A) three-phase (Renault ZOE Q210, Q90)

Known vehicles that use the Type 2 standard are:

– Hyundai IONIQ Elektro, Hyundai KONA Elektro
– Renault ZOE
– Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3
– VW e-Golf, VW eUp

Type 2 (AC)

CCS (Combined Charging System) or connector type Combo 2 is a standard for realizing alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) charges.

Type 2 and Combo 2 were defined in the EU as standard plug-in connections for charging powers over 3.6 kW for AC and over 22 kW for DC.

In recent years, the importance of CCS as a fast charging standard in Europe has increased significantly.
Many vehicles – especially those of German manufacturers – use CCS for fast charging with direct current (DC).
Vehicles from American manufacturers also use CCS – but use the type 1 plug (SAE J1772) instead of the type 2 plug for the upper part (AC).

With a few exceptions, CCS can usually be found on the multi-standard high-performance fast chargers (dual / triple chargers), which are becoming more and more widespread throughout Europe, because quick charging is becoming increasingly important due to the increasing ranges.

The following charging capacities are common in practice:

– 20 kW DC
– 50 kW DC
– 70-350 kW DC (HPC, 400-800V)

Known vehicles that use the Combined Charging System (CCS) are:

– BMW i3
– Hyundai IONIQ Elektro, Hyundai KONA Elektro
– Kia eSoul, Kia eNiro
– Tesla Model 3
– VW e-Golf, VW eUp

CCS (DC)

CHAdeMO is a standard for electric vehicles for charging direct current (DC).

It is mainly used for vehicles from Asia.

CHAdeMO has spread all over the world (USA, Asia, Europe) for many years.
The CHAdeMO industrial consortium established the standard together with predominantly Asian car manufacturers and groups such as TEPCO, Mitsubishi or Nissan.

Even today, CHAdeMO is still the leading connector type for fast charging using direct current (DC), especially in Asia.
Vehicle manufacturers like Nissan or Mitsubishi use it.

Vehicles from European manufacturers that are also sold in Asia have even been adapted to CHAdeMO.
So it happens that the BMW i3 equipped with CCS in Germany is equipped with CHAdeMO in Japan.

CHAdeMO is also known for its ability to bidirectionally charge (Vehicle to Grid, Power to Home).

It is the only charging standard that is the same worldwide.
Tesla also uses its own adapter, which enables charging at CHAdeMO charging stations for Tesla Model S and X.

In public areas, CHAdeMO can often be found in combination with CCS or in combination with CCS and Type 2 (Triple Charger).

Like Type 2 or CCS, the CHAdeMO also locks the charging plug during the charging process.

Due to the increasing variety of models from European and Korean electric car manufacturers, the CHAdeMO standard is becoming less important, especially in Europe. For example, some charging infrastructure providers such as. IONITY exclusively on CCS (Combo 2) for your HPC charging infrastructure.

The following charging capacities are common in practice:

– 20 kW DC
– 50 kW DC

Known vehicles that use the CHAdeMO standard are:

– Nissan LEAF (24 kWh, 30 kWh, 40 kWh, 62 kWh), Nissan eNV 200
– triplets (Peugeot iON, Citroen C-Zero, Mitsubishi iMIEV)
– Kia Soul EV

CHAdeMO (DC)