Connector types for AC EV charging around the world
In today's rapidly expanding electric vehicle market, Ev Charging Stations are becoming an essential feature for modern households. As a combination of convenience and environmental sustainability, they not only enhance charging efficiency but also provide significant ease for users. Today, let's explore the differences between various charging port standards.
In California, a square plug named J1772 was introduced in 2001, but it was only capable of 6.6 kW, and so in 2008 Yazaki designed a new plug with a power of 19.2 kW, which since 2010 has become the standard for all American vehicles. Yazaki's design today is the new J1772, which is often called J-plug or Type1
Mennekes - Type 2
European cars used the Type 1 connector until major European automakers began looking for a new solution that could take advantage of all three phases. In 2003 new specifications IEC 62196 were established based on which the Type 2 "mennekes" plug was produced and it quickly became the new European standard. Thanks to the fact that both types of plugs (type 1 and 2) use the same J1772 signaling protocol for communication, car manufacturers can make vehicles in the same way and only at the very end they install the type of plug that corresponds to the market where the car will be sold. Passive adapters also exist among these types. Another important advantage of the Type 2 plug is that it supports a built-in automatic locking system.
(The Type 2 plug is called Mennekes, because it was a German company of the same name that developed a design for this plug. The term "Mennekes design" was often mentioned in the texts, and it started to be used among the general public.)
GB / T standard
In China, under the supervision of the Guobiao Standardization Commission, a GB / T plug was developed, and currently it is the only one that is used. The fact that there are no other types of connectors in the whole country that would compete facilitates the development of the charging infrastructure. It should be noted that China is the country with the densest network of charging stations and has the largest share of electric cars in the world.
At first glance, the connector seems to be the same as Type 2, but the cables inside are arranged in reverse order so they are not compatible.
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.
If you enjoyed this article about connectors and would like to learn more about AC Ev Charger, please feel free to contact us！