Types of EV Charging Connectors
Electric vehicles have far fewer moving parts than conventional internal combustion cars. Its propulsion system consists of an electric motor, battery pack, electronic circuits, and drivetrain to make the wheels move.
However, when it comes to charging/refueling, the ICE vehicles are far simpler to understand than the EV solutions. All petrol stations are built the same and require the same procedure for one to use to fill up their individual vehicle’s fuel tank.
Filling up your vehicle at the petrol station requires little technical knowledge because the petrol filler nozzle is a standard size. It will fit into any fuel tank inlet, regardless of the vehicle’s make or model. However, in some countries, the fuel filler nozzles differ in size between petrol and diesel fillers.
As for electric cars, things are a little more complicated because several diverse types of chargers are used. Here in Malaysia, there are three common types that we use, which are the IEC Type 2, CCS Type 2 and CHAdeMO.
IEC Type 2
The Type 2 connector, which is also referred to as Mennekes (name of company that designed it) is a 7-pin connector that is used in Europe. It can carry an electric power output of between 3-50kW with a 230V output AC current. They have holes on the side that allow them to lock to a vehicle’s charging port.
Combo CCS Type 2
CCS stands for Combined Charging System Type 2 builds upon the regular Type 2 charger by adding two extra pins for quick DC charging that go up to about 350kW. There’s also CCS Type 1 but this type of connector is available in other regions.
Both allow high power DC charging and allow for up to 400kW fast charging. However, the technology has demonstrated its capability to supply 700kW of power.
CHAdeMO
An abbreviation for “CHArge de MOve ” which means “charge of moving” is a charging protocol that offers fast charging DC 400kW with its second-generation technology. Then there’s the latest 3.0 that’s being developed to allow up to 900kW of charging capabilities.
Popular in Japan, the CHAdeMO is said to be the only fast charging standard with an impartial third-party certification system. This connector also performs functions such as a safety interlock to avoid energizing a connector before it is safe, transmitting battery parameters, target voltage and total battery capacity.
If you would like to know more about the availability of charging stations around the country, look at our article: Find EV Chargers Near You for more details. Check out our article on the Difference Between AC and DC Charging To know more about the technologies.
References:
- Guide On Electric Vehicle Charging System
- Guide On Electric Vehicles Charging System In Malaysia
- CHAdeMO Technology
