Charging Cables and Plug Types.
Take charge of charging your electric car.
Don't be confused by the different types of cables and plugs you may have seen or heard of. The variety only means that you have flexibility in your options, depending on which electric vehicle you are driving, where you are going, and how much time you have to get there.
When charging at home.
There are two options for charging an electric vehicle at a private residence: a wallbox or a regular home power outlet. They supply completely different kinds of voltages and power outputs and different cables are needed to plug in.
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Type 2 cable.
Typical wallboxes work with 230V (1-phased) or 400V (3-phased) alternating current (AC). Cars are plugged in with Type 2 cables. Depending on the wallbox, the cable might be permanently connected to the box, or have plugs at both ends. They support a charging speed of up to 22 kW.
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ICCB cable.
To charge your electric vehicle from a domestic 230 Volt socket you need an ICCB-cable (In-Cable Control Box). They have a household plug at one end and a Type 2 plug at the other. The control box communicates between the charging port and the vehicle to ensure safe charging. Because ICCB cables and wall outlets only allow for up to 2.7kW (depending on domestic electric power supply and ICCB setting) charging, the process takes a lot longer. And because residential circuits are not built for that kind of continuous strain, plugging into a regular power outlet should only ever be a fall-back solution.
When charging in public.
When pulling up to public charging stations, you will come across two different kinds of plugs that provide different kinds of voltages and power outputs. Some stations have both options and your selection depends on what you need at the moment.
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Type 2 cable.
Just like wallboxes, most public charging stations work with alternating current (AC) and require the same Type 2 cable. The on-board-charger then converts the alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). The charging speed (maximum charging capacity per hour) is determined by the power of the charging station, usually between 11 and 43 kW (3-phased) or your car's on-board-charger, usually 7.2 kW (1-phased) or 10.5 kW (3-phased) – whichever has the lower kW.
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CCS type 2 cable.
Fast-charging stations use direct current (DC) and usually have a permanently connected Combined Charging System cable (CCS or Combo 2). These cables are similar to Type 2 cables but have two additional contacts to allow high-power DC fast-charging. The charging speed is not limited by your car's on-board-charger which is completely bypassed (it doesn't need to convert from AC to DC). CCS cables can transmit up to 350 kW but few charging stations deliver that kind of speed.
Which cables do I need to buy?
The ICCB cable for using at a domestic socket is often included in the vehicle's price. A Type 2 cable can come at an extra cost, but is usually included in higher equipped vehicles - and you should take this cable with you when you want to charge at a public station with AC power. The CCS type 2 cable is usually installed at all the fast-charging stations (DC), so you don't need to buy and carry around this cable.
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