If you want to learn more, you’re in the right place!
Also known as a J-Plug or Yazaki, the Type 1 connector has five pins and is used for AC home charging.
Although more common in North America, Type 1 connectors can also be found in older models of electric vehicles in the UK, such as early Kia Soul EVs and Nissan LEAFs.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – which used to be a popular plug-in hybrid vehicle – also has a Type 1 plug.
The Type 1 connector is for charging at home if suitable for your EV or for when charging at public AC chargepoints, typically ranging between 3kW (slow) and 7kW (fast).
Type 2 have seven pins, a flat top and a built-in locking mechanism.
They are the most common connectors on new cars in the UK and are used for AC charging, although Tesla models can also use it for DC charging.
These are commonly found in 3kW and 7kW versions but can also be 22kW or even 43kW on certain chargers.
Most vehicles, however, will not be able to charge this quickly with a Type 2.
There is a smattering of 3kW public chargepoints that utilise Type 2 connectors in the UK, and these chargepoints are typically found in car parks, hotels and some supermarkets – anywhere your car will be idle for some time.
The charger end of a connector will always be Type 2, but the end of the connector that plugs into your car can differ depending on model. It is worth noting again that it is really only important to know what your vehicle needs and when.
CHAdeMo, an abbreviation of ‘Charge de Move’, allows for rapid DC charging at public chargepoints.
DC chargepoints will have a cable connected to the charger and this is called a ‘tethered’ charger. With a tethered charger, you don’t need to supply the cable, but you do need to know if the individual charger is compatible with your vehicle.
CHAdeMO was first developed in Japan and was the original rapid-charging DC standard (which is why it is the connector on the Nissan Leaf). In recent years however, most manufacturers favoured the European CCS connector instead as it allows for faster charging speed (up to 50kW for CHAdeMO compared to 150kW or more for CCS).
Most vehicles in the UK from 2020 onwards, including the Kia e-Niro, BMW i3 and Tesla Model 3, use a CCS connector for rapid charging.
This means you can AC charge in the top socket and then use the combined socket with extra pins for DC charging when needed. Again, this will be tethered to the charger itself.
Most vehicles in the UK from 2020 onwards, including the Kia e-Niro, BMW i3 and Tesla Model 3, use a CCS connector for rapid charging.
As a rival to the CHAdeMO connector, the CCS is the main DC charging connector as all manufacturers are now incorporating it into their European vehicles.