EV Connector Guide: Type 1, Type 2, and CCS Explained
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The global EV market is fragmented. A charger bought for a Tesla in California will not fit a BYD in Shanghai or a Volkswagen in Berlin without the right hardware. This engineering guide visualizes the differences.
1. AC Connectors (Home & Office)
Used for charging speeds between 3kW and 22kW.
Type 1 (SAE J1772)
Region: North America (USA, Canada), Japan, Korea.
Phase: Single Phase Only.
Standard for older EVs (Nissan Leaf) and non-Tesla US EVs.
Type 2 (Mennekes)
Region: Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Most of Asia.
Phase: Supports 3-Phase (Faster).
The dominant global standard outside North America.
GB/T (Guobiao)
Region: China (Mainland).
Note: Physically similar to Type 2 but electronically incompatible.
Requires a specialized adapter to use with Type 1 or Type 2 chargers.
2. DC Fast Charging (High Power)
Used for highway charging (50kW - 350kW). The connector is usually larger.
CCS 1 & CCS 2 (Combined)
Design: Adds two large DC pins to the bottom of the Type 1 or Type 2 AC plug.
Region: CCS1 (North America), CCS2 (Europe/Global).
CHAdeMO
Region: Japan (Standard), Global (Legacy).
Design: A completely circular, large connector. Unlike CCS, it does not share the AC port.
Used by Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi, and older Kia Soul EVs.
🚗 The Tesla Factor (NACS)
North America: Tesla uses the NACS (North American Charging Standard), which is now being adopted by Ford, GM, and Rivian. You need a NACS-to-J1772 adapter to use standard home chargers.
Europe/China: Tesla vehicles use the local standard ports (Type 2 in Europe, GB/T in China) natively. No adapter needed.
Market
AC Standard
DC Standard
Voltage
North America
Type 1 (J1772)
CCS1 / NACS
120V / 240V
Europe / AU
Type 2 (Mennekes)
CCS2
230V / 400V
China
GB/T AC
GB/T DC
220V / 380V
Importing a car? Confused about compatibility?
Send a photo of your car's charge port to our engineering team.
