Which Plug do I need for my electric car?
Jérôme Faissat 11th Apr 2018 2 Min Read
This question comes back often amongst our customers and partners so we’ve put together this little form to help you select your plug type for your electric car!
THE DIFFERENT PLUGS
For residential charging, I will only be talking about type 1 (aka SAE J1772) and type 2 (aka Mennekes). Broadly speaking type 1 is the standard in Asia and North America and type 2 is the standard in Europe. So if your car is from an Asian maker (e.g.: Mitsubishi or Nissan) it’s likely that you’ll need a type 1 connector with your charging station. However, it’s not always the case as some manufacturers such as Renault have models which have type 1 and type 2. That’s why we’ve put this tool together, so it’s easy to get an answer.
WHAT ABOUT FAST CHARGING?
Fast charging is usually not applicable for residential use (especially in the UK) because you need more power when you fast charge and UK households are usually not equipped for that. Technically you probably don’t need to bother with the fast charging plugs for now but if you insist, there are 3 fast-charging plugs: CSS plug: Started in Europe the idea was to allow type 1 and type 2 to use Direct Current (DC) for fast charging. Mainly manufacturers in Europe and the US support this standard. CHAdeMO: Started in Japan, it transforms Alternative Current into Direct Current. Only Asian manufacturers support this standard. Tesla Supercharger: Uses a modified version of the Type 2 plug. Only available for Tesla cars. As you can see fast charging is even more complex as your car maker will adhere to one standard and you’ll need to find the right charging station with the right connector.
MY CAR COMES WITH A CABLE, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?
Good question. And the answer is in the cable itself. When you buy an electric car and the manufacturer includes a charging cable, it’s usually a mode 2 (potentially mode 1) cable. Which can be translated as “a cable that will charge your car slowly”. This is because mode 1/ mode 2 cables can be connected to a standard household plug which means that you are limited in the power you can draw directly from the plug. If you draw too much power for a long period of time then you run the risk of tripping the fuse board, overheating (then fire) and electric shock.
SO WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Without getting into the technical details, you can use the cable that comes with your car if you’re happy to charge slowly. If you’re opting for a residential charging station then you’ll only need to know if you need a type 1 or type 2 plug
Jérôme Faissat
Jérôme is the boss of Andersen’s day-to-day managerial and service delivery. With extensive experience of retail system development and property and financial services, Jerome has an eye for quality and control. When he’s not mapping the future, he loves to talk to customers, drink French wine or speak Mandarin. He even finds time to walk his two dogs in the evenings.
