Heavy-duty EV plug comparison: North American NEMA 14-50P 40A vs European 32A Red CEE 3-phase industrial connector standards

EV Connector Guide: Type 1, Type 2, and CCS Explained

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

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