When purchasing onee-vehicle There are a lot of things to consider – including the plug types. These are important to be able to charge anywhere.
It doesn't take much to charge an electric vehicle. OneWallbox at home or on company premises and a charging cable with a suitable plug for on the go. But which plug fits and which ones are there? We have created an overview:
SchuKo plug
Practically everyone has used the Schuko plug before, because it is a plug that fits into a standard household 230 V socket. ForElectric cars However, this plug is only an emergency solution, which is why this charging process is also referred to as emergency charging. It enables a maximum charging power of 3.7kW and therefore takes several hours to charge. To avoid overheating and cable fires, only a maximum of 2.3 kW may be drawn permanently. You should therefore use a wallbox for continuous use.
CEE plug
The CEE plug is also called the “camping plug” because long before electric mobility, it was used to charge mobile homes on campsites. The advantage over the conventional SchuKo plug is the possible continuous load of 3.7 kW. The plug is available in two versions: Blue CCE plug (single-phase, with a charging power of up to 3.7 kW) and Red CCE plug (three-phase, also known as a high-voltage socket, with a charging power of 11 kW or 22 kW).
The type 1 plug
The Type 1 charging plug is widely used in North America and Asia. It can be found in car brands such as Hyundai or Ford. Since the Type 1 plug is rather rare in Europe, the manufacturers automatically supply a charging cable with a Type 2 plug connection to the respective cars for their European customers. Designed for a single-phase three-wire network, the Type 1 plug has a maximum charging power of 7.4 kW (kilowatt). In Germany this is a disadvantage because the three-phase power grid allows higher charging powers of 11 kW up to 43 kW, but a Type 2 plug is required.
The type 2 plug/Mennkes plug
This three-phase plug type is standard in Europe. It is also called the “Mennekes” plug, corresponding to the German company Mennekes Elektrotechnik GmbH & which was involved in the development. Co. KG. Car brands such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, VW and Tesla rely on this type of plug because it offers higher performance than the Type 1 charging plug. Charging powers of up to 22 kW are common at private and company charging stations.Public charging stations However, they enable an output of up to 43 kW, which corresponds to fast charging.
Type 3A/C connector
The Type 3A/C plug was created parallel to Type 2. The special feature is an integrated protective flap, which uses a shutter function to prevent direct contact with live parts. Since the Type 2 plugs are now voltage-free and also have a safety shutter as a back-up, they have developed into the European standard for electric vehicles. The older Type 3A plug only allows single-phase charging, the Type 3C plug also allows three-phase charging and up to 43 kW charging current.
The CCS (Combined Charging System)
The CCS plug (Combined Charging System) is an extension of the Type 2 plug. Two additional contacts ensure the possibility of charging in both AC and DC networks (fast charging). This makes the CCS plug an all-purpose charger. Theoretically, the plug type supports a charging power of up to 350 kW. This high performance is achieved with fast charging, also called high power charging (HPC). However, the actual charging performance can also be reduced by factors such as heat,SoC, electricity load from other customers, etc.
Big advantage of the CCS: The connections also fit a Type 2 plug.
CHAdeMO system
A fast charging system according to the Japanese standard is the CHAdeMO system. CHAdeMO currently charges with 22 or 50 kW, but in Germany it is only offered with older models from Nissan, Lexus and Mitsubishi. The charging point supplies direct current.
Tesla Supercharger
Tesla has its own type of plug, the so-called Supercharger. This looks similar to the Type 2 plug, but the pins are assigned differently.
With the Supercharger you can charge your Tesla with an output of around 250 kW, which means the e-car can be charged up to 80% within 20 minutes.
And Tesla's Supercharger is not only a pioneer in this, but also in terms of payment. The so-called Plug&Charge already works perfectly with Tesla plugs. Authentication between the vehicle and the charging station takes place automatically. All you have to do is plug in the plug and the electric vehicle will charge without any further action.
Tesla has now opened its superchargers to third-party vehicles. Almost every electric car can be charged with electricity using the fast chargers, although there are a few manufacturer-related exceptions.
The Rosenberg connector
The RoPD connector The Rosenberger company (colloquially known simply as the Rosenberger plug) was developed specifically for use in light electric vehicles, especially two-wheeled vehicles. It can now be found in almost all vehicles in this class. No matter whether e-scooter, e-moped or e bike (or Pedelec), the Rosenberger plug serves as a connection. The Rosenberger plug usually serves as a connection between Battery and drive. Thanks to the clever design and a magnetic connection, batteries can be removed from small electric vehicles quickly and easily, making the Changing the batterytherefore easier.
The Rosenberger connector is, so to speak, the ultimate link in two-wheeled electromobility. Thanks to this plug connection, you can disconnect the battery of your e-vehicle quickly, easily and reliably. At the same time, the connector was designed in such a way that it is very easy to connect the battery and drive thanks to the magnetic connection system. No annoying messing around or tangled cables. And the Rosenberger plug is not only good for the connection between the battery and the drive, but conversely often also works as a connection between the charger and the battery. Just as easy as it is to remove the battery from the vehicle, it can be connected to the charger. And once you've fully charged your battery, it's just as easy and quick to put it back in the vehicle. Pretty handy, right? There are now really hardly any vehicles that do not have this connection installed somewhere in the vehicle. Mainly, of course, because of the removable battery. However, there are also some Pedelecs where it is possible to charge the battery directly on the vehicle. And of course also via the Rosenberger plug. Because the Rosenberger plug is now so widespread, you hardly have to worry about buying a charger that is not compatible with your vehicle.