Mode 1
Mode 1 is the simplest type of charging an EV. The EV can be charged by connecting it to the household socket. This limits the user to a lower amount of available power delivered to the vehicle. It requires no communication.
Mode 2
The Mode 2 EV charging cable is available in different versions. Often the Mode 2 charging cable is supplied by the car manufacturer and has a connection to an ordinary household socket. The main use of that charging cable is for cases of emergency. The communication between car and charging port is set up via a box connected between the vehicle plug and connector plug. The most sophisticated version of Mode 2 charging cable is the one with a plug for different CEE industrial sockets, such as NRGkick. That type of charging cables can distribute a current output to an EV of up to 22kW.
Mode 3
The vehicle is connected directly to the electrical network via specific socket and plug and a dedicated circuit. A control and protection function is also installed permanently in the installation. The most common Mode 3 charging cable in Europe is the Type 2 connector and is set up as the standard in EU. The EV chargers are usually equipped with a type 2 socket and in order to charge an EV it needs a charging cable from type 2 to type 2 or from type 2 to type 1. A Mode 3 charging cable is communicating with the vehicle. This communication includes charging point capacity and the ability for the car to instruct the charging point to turn off the power when the car is fully charged.
Mode 4
The mode 4 is very often refereed as DC fast-charge. However given the widely varying charging rates for mode 4, starting with portable 5kW units through to 50kW and 150kW, there is some confusion as to what fast-charge really means. The electric vehicle is connected to the main power grid through an external charger. Control and protection functions and the vehicle charging cable are installed permanently in the installation.
Types of Plugs
The EV’s have an in-built battery charger that allows them to recharge the vehicle battery from a normal wall socket supply. The electric vehicles have an inlet for a charging cable. There are two types of inlets; Type 1 and Type 2. Around the world, three different charging systems are standardized for the connection of electric vehicles in IEC 62196-2. They are not compatible with each. Those are Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3. Generally, all three standards meet the high safety requirements for the consumer. The voltage is only added when the system has recognized that the plugs are completely inserted at the vehicle and infrastructure side, that the plugs are locked and that the connection of the protective earth conductor is correct. If one of these conditions is not met, charging will not start.
Type 1 plug
The Type 1 is a plug mostly used in EV’s in America and Asia. Even if there are some vehicles in Europe that use a type 1 plug, it is very rare. The type 1 plug is a single-phase plug which allows for charging power levels of up to 7.4 kW (230 V, 32 A).
Type 2 plug
The Type 2 plug is the one mostly used in Europe. The electric power provided can be a single-phase or a triple-phase AC or DC and the charging power level can be of up to 43kW.CCS (Combined Charging System) The CCS plug is an enriched version of the type 2 plug, with two additional power contacts for the purposes of quick charging, and supports AC and DC charging power levels (alternating and direct current charging power levels) of up to 170 kW.
Type 3 plug
Type 3 is available in three different geometries, depending on charging capacity and number of phases. Type 3 has a shutter system. Even if IEC Charging systems do not require a shutter due to implemented communication and safety devices, in some European countries the national standards for household plugs and sockets require IP XXD shutter. This is the reason that Type 3 is mostly used in France.
CHAdeMO
The fast charge plug CHAdeMO is mostly used in Japan and allows for charging capacities up to 50 kW at the appropriate public charging stations.
Adapters
Adapters Conversion adapters offer a great alternative to EV owners that charge vehicles to a different Type, or purchase another EV or PHEV of a different Type. With those adapters, you can connect any Type 2 cable from a charging station to a Type 1 electric car port and vice versa. Adapters are compatible with private or public charging stations.
