Using an electric car is different from having a petrol or diesel car in a number of ways. If you have or are thinking of getting an EV, then one of the differences you might have noticed is all the different types of charging cables they seem to have.

Here we will talk about the different types of charging connectors, why they exist, and what separates them from one another.

If you want to recharge the battery of an electric vehicle, you need to plug it into a power source. This requires a cable connecting that charger or outlet to your EV.

There are two physical elements of an EV Charger Connector. And wouldn’t you know it, in order for you to charge an electric car, the connector and the charging port need to match up.

It’s just like having the right plug for the right socket. You couldn’t plug a three-prong plug from Irish electronics directly into a socket on the continent.

This probably seems very frustrating when pretty much any petrol or diesel car allows you to pump from any source.

But EVs are still a fairly new consumer technology, and have been developed in multiple countries around the world. Their charging needs have also evolved rapidly in just a few short years as the sector has expanded.

There are three main factors which have governed the evolution of different connector standards for electric vehicles:

Different types of EV charging standards come with a lot of confusing names that don’t do much to tell you whether they are AC or DC charging, or if they’re compatible with your car, unless you already know them.

So we’re going to run you through the main connector types found around the world and explain their chief characteristics.

An old variant of AC charger, the SAE J1772 was a five pin charging connector designed to handle single-phase charging up to a maximum of 19.2 kW charging speeds.

This allows it to be used in a variety of charging situations, such as plugging into wall outlets and Level 2 home EV chargers. Most charging cables using a Type 1 connector are limited to a maximum of 7kW.

The Mennekes Type 2 charger connector is the primary AC connector type used for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in Europe, Australia, NZ and other countries outside of the US.

This seven pin connector is able to handle single-phase and three-phase charging up to a maximum of 43kW of power.

However, in most AC chargers, it will only be able to deliver a maximum of 22kW power output.

An early DC charging standard created in Japan and still in use there, though it has since been phased out in Europe and America. However, some older EV models in Ireland may still have CHAdeMO ports.

The CHAdeMO connector can deliver a maximum power output of 400kW for rapid DC charging. But this requires separate ports for AC and DC charging on your vehicle.

The Combined Charging System 1 incorporates a Type 1 AC charging with two pins below for rapid DC charging.

This can deliver up to 350kW of power output in most circumstances, though the actual output will vary depending on the charger it is part of.

The CCS 2 connector follows the same design principle as its predecessor, with a Type 2 Mennekes connector taking the place of the Type 1 for AC charging.

Europe has adopted CCS 2 as its mandatory standard for electric vehicles to ensure interoperability.

The North American Charging Standard created for the Tesla Supercharger network is being increasingly adopted by EV manufacturers as their standard for the United States.

The NACS charger fully integrates AC and DC charging into a single five pin charger connector. It can deliver a maximum of 22.16kW for AC charging, though this is most frequently limited to 11kW.

For fast DC charging, the NACS connector is currently able to receive a maximum of 325kW from the latest version of Tesla Superchargers. However, more common superchargers are limited to 250kW currently.

The name GB/T is used for EV charging connectors in China made according to the Guobiao national standards.

Despite having the same name, there are two distinct connectors for AC and DC charging. While the AC charger may appear compatible with a Type 2 charger at first glance, the pins and sockets are arranged in reverse, so they will not fit.

These can currently deliver up to 27.7kW for AC charging and 250kW for DC charging.

Importing cars is fairly common when people want to buy a model that isn’t available in their country yet.

This is fine with petrol or diesel cars since all pumps are the same, but if you’re importing an electric car, then you need to keep in mind where it comes from, as it may have a different connector than you are used to.

EV manufacturers will fit a car with the charging port required for its destination market. So if you are buying an EV from a foreign manufacturer meant for Ireland, then it will come with CCS 2 as standard.

However, if you get impatient because the model isn’t available here yet, and decide to import a car from China, then it could well come with GB/T charging ports.

If you’re planning a long journey with your electric car, then there’s a good chance you may need to top up the battery along the way there or back.

The charger types that are available at charging stations along the way is important for knowing where you can charge. Stations may have adapters for different connectors, but it is still something to keep in mind.

Most good apps with maps of public EV charging stations in Ireland will also tell you the number of charge points at each location, and the connector types they have.

The good thing in all this talk about different connectors is that, like with cables for electronics, you can get adapters for different types of EV charging connectors.

If your car has a Tesla charging port but your home charger comes with a CCS 2 cable, then you can fit an adapter onto the head of the cable and proceed.