We explain what an electric car's Type 2 charging cable is
A Type 2 charging cable, also known as an IEC Type 2 cable, is an AC electric vehicle charging cable commonly used in Europe and many other regions worldwide.
A Type 2 charging cable is the European-standard plug-type used by every new electric car. It features a seven-pin connection at both ends, which allows you to easily plug in to every home wallbox, and most public car chargers. The type 2 ev charger cable allows for slower AC charging (up to 43kW), rather than DC rapid charging, which requires a CCS connection.
The Type 2 car charging cable allows you to top-up at the slower ‘destination’ chargers you typically find in shopping centres, gyms and town car parks. Tesla cars are the exception, as they use a Type 2 connection to rapid charge – albeit at Tesla Superchargers only – this is a network of chargers that are only available to Teslas.
At any standard, free-to-all Type 2 charger (which includes every charging point provider other than the Tesla Supercharger network), a Tesla would charge just as slowly as any other electric car. All pure-electric cars come with a Type 2 socket and cable as standard. All plug-in hybrids have a Type 2 socket, but some manufacturers charge extra for a cable.
A Type 2 charging cable is an AC charging cable, not a DC fast charging cable. Type 2 connectors are designed for alternating current (AC) charging and are widely used for home charging, workplace charging, and public AC charging stations.
Type 2 AC charging typically supports single-phase and three-phase power, with charging power ranging from 3.7 kW up to 43 kW, depending on the charger and vehicle onboard charger capacity.
Is Type 2 DC Charging?
No. Type 2 by itself does not support DC fast charging.
DC rapid charging requires a CCS2 connector, which is an extension of the Type 2 interface with two additional DC pins added below the original Type 2 socket. This combined system is known as Combined Charging System 2 (CCS2).
In simple terms:
Type 2 = AC charging only
CCS2 = Type 2 + DC pins for fast charging
What Is a Type 2 Charger Used For?
A Type 2 charger is mainly used for AC charging at home wallboxes, offices, shopping centres, and public destination charging points. It is the standard AC charging solution for electric vehicles in Europe and many other regions.
The main difference between Type 2 and CCS lies in the charging current type. Type 2 is an AC charging standard, commonly used for home and public AC chargers, while CCS supports DC fast charging.
A Type 2 connector charger uses alternating current only and relies on the vehicle’s onboard charger to convert AC to DC. In contrast, CCS (Combined Charging System) adds two DC pins below the Type 2 connector, enabling high-power DC rapid charging.
Simply put: Type 2 = AC charging standard, CCS = Type 2 + DC for fast charging.
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