EV Charging Connector Types and Speeds

Tip: Three-phase power is relatively rare in the UK. There is almost no three-phase in homes, but there is some in a few larger commercial buildings. Most public chargepoints are single-phase 7kW devices.

Rapid Charging

Direct Current (DC)

Typically used for en route rapid charging, there are three types of DC car-side connectors. All DC rapid charging stations will have cables with both a CHAdeMO and CCS connector attached and you will simply have to choose which fits to your vehicle socket. To protect the battery, rapid chargers do not consistently charge at their typical power rating.

* Assumes 60kWh full battery electric vehicle (BEV) with a range of 200 miles.

** 150kW CCS rapid chargers will become very common, but across the UK most are still just 50kW.

*** A handful of 350kW CCS chargers exist, however it is not yet common place.

**** 250kW Tesla Superchargers are starting to be rolled out.

Chargepoint side EV connector types

Typically used for top-up charging at home, work and destinations, there is really only one kind of chargepoint socket, though some might occasionally use a traditional 3-pin plug to charge from a wall socket as an emergency backup.

The Type 2 chargepoint socket is universal, and can be thought of in a similar way to the wall socket for charging iPhones or Android phones (i.e. the socket is the same for each, but the cable is specific to the car/phone type).

Slow & Fast Chargers

Alternating Current (AC)

Typically used for top-up charging at home, work and destinations, there is really only one kind of chargepoint socket on slow and fast chargers, though some drivers might occasionally plug into their traditional 3-pin wall socket as an emergency backup.

Tip: The “Type 2” socket is the Europe-wide, universal socket for charging electric cars. You can charge any type of car from it, so long as you have the appropriate charging cable for your car - much the same as charging Apple or Android phones from a wall socket.

Rapid Chargers

Direct Current (DC)

All DC units have tethered cables with both CHAdeMO and CCS connectors that match the car-side sockets, so there are no chargepoint-side DC sockets.

* Assumes 60kWh battery electric vehicle (BEV).

Tip: The “Type 2” socket is the Europe-wide, universal socket for charging electric cars. You can charge any type of car from it, so long as you have the appropriate charging cable for your car - much the same as charging Apple or Android phones from a wall socket.

Rapid Chargers

Direct Current (DC)

All DC units have tethered cables with both CHAdeMO and CCS connectors that match the car-side sockets, so there are no chargepoint-side DC sockets.

https://pod-point.com/guides/driver/ev-connector-types-speed