Every new technology begins with a wave of competition among various standards, each manufacturer creating and utilizing their own. Time determines the dominant one. This was the case with mobile phone charging connectors and is currently the situation with electric vehicle charging cable connectors. Let's explore the different types of charging connectors available worldwide.
A Snapshot of Connector Varieties
A Snapshot of Connector Varieties
Charging speed depends on three elements - the power source (charging station), the charging cable, and the on-board charger. This article focuses on the charger cable's vital component - the connector.
Connectors can be broadly categorized based on their prevalent regions of use. AC charging stations often don't come with an in-built charging cable, hence the driver carries a suitable cable for their car, resolving the connector type issue. On the other hand, DC fast charging stations always have an attached cable for safety reasons, the high current, cost and weight of the cable, making it crucial to select the right connector type.
We proceed to provide a summary of the development and features of individual connectors.
AC Connectors
Early electric cars, like General motors EV1, utilized an inductive connection for charging where current was transmitted via electromagnetic induction. However, this charging method was not efficient enough at the time. This led to the design of a more efficient conductive connection known as the SAE J1772-2001. One requirement for this connector was to establish a connection with the deck and infotainment system.
Type1 - J1772
The J1772, a square plug introduced in California in 2001, could only handle 6.6 kW. Thus, Yazaki designed a more powerful plug (19.2 kW) in 2008 which by 2010 became the standard for all American vehicles. Yazaki's design today is the new J1772, often called J-plug or Type 1.
The Type 1 connector was originally used in European electric cars, so many older or hybrid cars still use it. Now, it is primarily used in America and Asia. The plug's main disadvantage is that it only utilizes one phase and doesn't support an automatic locking system.
Type2 - Mennekes
European cars used the Type 1 connector until major European automakers sought a solution that could use all three phases. This led to the creation of the Type 2 "Mennekes" plug based on the new 2003 IEC 62196 specifications. It quickly became the new European standard. Thanks to both plugs (type 1 and 2) using the same J1772 signaling protocol for communication, car manufacturers can produce vehicles with the same features, installing the plug type according to the market where the car will be sold.
The Type 2 plug, known as Mennekes, supports an automatic locking system.
The Tesla Model S and Model X sold in Europe also use the Type 2 plug, which allows them to charge at any AC charging station and also use this connector for the Tesla Supercharger network where they charge using DC.
GB / T standard
Under the supervision of the Guobiao Standardization Commission, China developed the GB/T plug, which is currently the only one in use in the country. This significantly streamlines the development of the charging infrastructure for the nation that has the densest network of charging stations and the highest share of electric cars in the world.
Tesla
Tesla is, of course, a topic in itself and has different connectors than any other brand, which allows Tesla customers to charge on their own charging stations that cannot be used by any other vehicle.
At the same time, however, Tesla also offers adapters for other types of plugs, so for their vehicles it is not a problem to use the charging stations with a Type 1 or CHAdeMO plug.
In the war for the winning DC plug in Europe, Tesla leaned towards the CCS Type 2 plug in its Model 3.
