EV Charging Connector Types and Speeds Guide 2023

A person who is having an electric vehicle faces a lot of problems charging them. This article will guide you about the EV charging connector types which include the socket and charger types having their specifications which are given to complete knowledge of what types of EV charging connector you should use. 

EV charging connector types:

An EV car is. Used to charge by plugging into the socket and the vehicle looks similar when a phone is charged with a phone charging cable. So in the same way the type of connector depends upon the type of car and what will fit in the car socket. The following are some different types of connectors used from the vehicle side as shown in the image below:

EV Charging Connector
EV Charging Connector
  • Slow and fast charging. 
  • Rapid charging. 

Slow and fast Charging:

There are two types of alternating current vehicle side connectors that are used to charge the EV at home, in the office, and at destinations. There are two types of AC connector type with their power rating and features:

Type 1:

The typical power ratings of this AC connector type 1 are 3.7 kW and 7 kW which have an approximate range per hour charging of 12.5 miles and 25 miles respectively. 

The following are some features of the type 1 connector:

  • The type 1 connector does have a 5 pins connector. 
  • Type 1 is considered the standard US connector. 
  • These types of connectors don’t have a locking mechanism. 
  • It does have a single phase only. 
EV Charging Connector
EV Charging Connector

Type 2:

The typical power rating of this AC connector type 2 is 3.7 kW, 7 kW, and 22 kW which have an approximate range per hour charging of 12.5 miles, 25 miles, and 75 miles respectively. 

The following are some features of the type 2 connector:

  • The type 2  connector does have 7 pins. 
  • Type 2 is considered the standard EU connector. 
  • These types of connectors have an inbuilt locking mechanism. 
  • It does carry 3-phase power. 

The following table shows the difference between the ac connector types according to the power rating and range per hour.

AC connector typesPower ratingRange per hour charging
Type 13.7kW12.5 miles
7kW25 miles
Type 23.7kW12.5 miles
7kW25 miles
22kW 75 miles

Rapid charging:

There are three types of direct current car connectors. These types of connectors are used for en-route rapid charging. The station of the DC rapid charging has charging cables having both CHAdeMO and CCS connectors attached to them to make sure that you can easily select the connector according to the car that fits in the socket of the EV.the following three types of rapid charging connectors:

CHAdeMO:

The typical power rating of CHAseMO is 50 kW and 100 kW which have an approximate range per 30 mins charging of 75 miles and 150 miles respectively. 

The following are some features of the CHAdeMO connector:

  • The CHAdeMO connector is considered the original DC connector. 

Combined charging system:

The typical power rating of a combined charging system is 50 kW, 150 kW, and 350 kW which have an approximate range per 30 mins charging of 75 miles, 225 miles, and 525 miles respectively. 

The following are some features of a combined charging system (CCS):

  • The combined charging system is a high-power connector. 
  • It has a neat arrangement with 2x type 2 pins. 
  • They are standard EU rapid charging connectors. 

Type 2:

The typical power rating of type 2 is 150 kW and 250 kW which have an approximate range per 30 mins of 225 miles and 375 miles respectively. 

The following are some features of type 2 connectors:

  • The type 2 connectors are considered Tesla superchargers provided with DC. 

Charging side electric car connector types:

There are different connector types on the charging side of an EV as you can see clearly in the image above. Most of the charging side EV connector types are of one kind of charge point socket. 

EV Charging Connector
EV Charging Connector

The following are types of EV connector types:

Slow and fast chargers:

The charger comes in a slow and fast alternating current charger which you can use to charge any type of car. The various types of connectors that come under slow and fast chargers are such as:

Type 2:

The typical power rating of alternating current chargers is 7 kW and 22 kW which have an approximate range per hour charging of 25 miles and 75 miles respectively. 

The following are some features of a type 2 connector:

  • Type 2 is considered a universal connector that can easily fit in all the standard ChargePoint sockets. 
  • They are the same as wall plugs which are used for cell phone charging. 

3-pin plug:

The power rating of the alternating current 3-pin plug charger is 2.3 kW which has a range per hour charging of 8 miles. 

The following are some features of 3 pin plug connector:

  • The 3-pin plug connector is a slow charger. 
  • They are not best practices. 
  • You prefer to use the 3-pin plug in case of any emergency.

the following table is showing the difference between the type 2 and 3-pin plugs according to the power rating and range per hour charging:

AC connector typePower Ratingsrange per hour charging
Type 27kW25 miles
22kW75 miles
3-pin plug2.3kW8 miles

Rapid charger:

The station where the direct current unit uses three tethered cables having CHAdeMO and CCS connectors that easily fit in the socket at the car side so there is no ChargePoint side DC socket. 

Time taken to charge the EV:

The following table explains the time to charge an EV which different types of chargers:

Types of chargerCharge timeBest to use
Fast charging 15-45 minutesPublic charging and retails
Level 2 charging 5-6 hoursWork and multifamily
Level 1 charging 20+ hoursHomes 

Conclusion:

After reading this article you can easily find which type of charger you can use to charge an EV easily in case you need to charge the vehicle during a journey, at the home, office, or anywhere.

Rick Costa

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