EV Charging Plugs explained

EV Accessories EV Chargers EV Connectors EV Plugs

EV’s are finally gaining acceptance (thank you Tesla) and the big manufacturers are finally jumping on the EV bandwagon.  Now that we an ever-expanding choice of EV’s, and PHEV’s to choose from, it can get a little murky when looking for a charger due to all the various plug types, so we thought it would be great to help explain the differences between them all.

Why so many different plugs? There currently isn’t a unified, adopted plug type, so it varies across regions and models, however as of late we’re seeing the Combined Charging System (CCS) being adopted in North America and Europe also using CCS, Mennekes and CCS2. While Japan prefers CHAdeMO and China GB/T. For this article, we will focus predominantly on the North American market.

EV Charger plug types

[Photo courtesy of Quora.com] 

J1772 Connector:                                                                                         
For Level 1 and Level 2 charging, all EV’s (except Tesla) use the SAE J1772 (Type 1) connector. Note that this connector is for standard charging, not rapid charging, which are the next 3 options for the North American market.

CCS (Combined Charging System): 
The CCS is a unique plug in that it utilizes the J1772 charging plug on the top and then has two pins below, essentially combining them into one plug. The CCS is rapidly becoming the standard in North America, with most major automotive manufacturers adopting this plug type.

CHAdeMO: 
CHAdeMo (French abbreviation for "CHArge de MOve") is the accepted plug type in Japan, However Toyota uses the J1772 in North America, while the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi Outlander use CHAdeMo.

Tesla: 
Tesla uses a proprietary connector for their charging, although their vehicles come standard with an adapter for charging at stations other than their Tesla charging stations, (which can only be used by a Tesla).

We hope this provides some insight into the various chargers available for you! If you have any questions, drop us a line at info@ecokruz.com!


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