One of customers’ first concerns is how they will charge their electric car. In reality, it is not rocket science. Of course, people should have some basic knowledge to have a trouble-free experience with their EVs. This knowledge will vary depending on the location.
Charging standards around the world are different and people should pay close attention to that. Today’s article will focus on the charging in Europe and North America- NACS, Type 1/ Type 2 or CCS1/ CCS2 charging.
Differences between EU and US charging?
There are two prevailing standards in North America- CCS1 (Combined Charging System) and NACS (North American Charging Standard). The European Union on the other hand made things simpler- in the very early stage of the EV adoption they have created a requirement for the standardization of charging stations. This is why all fast chargers in Europe are CCS2.
The key difference is that AC charging in North America is single-phase only (up to 48A) while EV users in Europe can take the benefit of three-phase charging (up to 32A). This is the reason why CCS1 charging connectors have two fewer pins in comparison to CCS2 connectors.
In the next few years, the CCS1 charging standard will become less and less popular in North America. Tesla has been developing their charging infrastructure since the very beginning and has established a very strong presence. In 2022 they decided to make their charging protocol public so other brands can utilize it as well.
Ford was the first company to announce its switch to NACS. So far over 20 car manufacturers have already planned on switching to the charging protocol of Tesla. NACS will certainly be the predominant charging standard in North America in the following years.
Charging stations in Europe
Europe has a very clear standardization which makes charging much easier. All vehicles produced in/for the European market come with a CCS2 charging port. Accordingly, all charging stations in Europe have the CCS2/ Type 2 charging connectors. Statistics from 2022 show that there were over 500,000 charging stations in Europe (including Europe). This number may be doubled by the end of 2024.
EV charging in Europe
The majority of EV owners have an AC charger at home. This is the preferred charging method for most EV drivers in Europe due to its convenience and inexpensiveness. There is still a minority of drivers who do not have the privilege of owning a charging station at home.
They have to rely on public AC/DC chargers. Fast (DC) chargers are rarely used for day-to-day charging. Owners rely on them when their battery capacity is not enough and want to continue their trip as soon as possible.
Type 2 charging
As mentioned above, Type 2 chargers allow for 3-phase charging. This means that some vehicles will be able to charge with up to 22 kW on AC. Keep in mind that such cars are not very common- Renault Zoe, Porsche Taycan, Kia EV6, Mercedes EQS (some of them need to have the additional 22 kW on-board charger).
The majority of the EVs in Europe can take up to 11 kW on AC. This can be achieved by using a three-phase 16A charger. Even larger batteries (such as the one in the Tesla Model Y Long Range) can be charged in around 8 hours.
CCS2 charging
CCS2 or the so-called fast charging is the preferred way to charge your vehicle on the go. These are DC chargers, therefore the electricity doesn’t need to go through the on-board charger. Charging time depends on the vehicle’s capabilities and the station’s power.
Currently, the fastest CCS2 chargers are around 350 kW. Unfortunately, 400V architecture vehicles (such as Tesla and many others) cannot take full advantage of that power as they are limited by amperage (up to 500A).
The vehicles that are at the top of the fast charging leaderboard are Hyundai IONIQ 6, Porshe Taycan, Kia EV6, Audi e-tron GT, and other vehicles with 800V batteries. These vehicles can do the 20-80% charge in under 20 minutes (at a 350kW charger).
Autocharge and E-invoicing after charging
Charging companies are aiming to make charging as easy as possible. One of the greatest features that they recently came up with is Autocharge. Autocharge automates authentication, authorization, and billing by passing the payment and EV information from the charging station to the charge point management system (CPMS) using the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP).
To put it simply- all you need to do is plug the charging gun into your vehicle’s socket. The charging process will start automatically, no need to use phone applications or RFID cards. To use Autocharge you must have registered an Autocharge supported vehicle into the charging company’s system.
Another facility that companies have implemented is E-invoicing. Giving your company’s identification number to the cashier at the gas station is too old-school. EV charging companies have implemented the E-invoicing system. At the end of each month, you will receive an invoice in your email with all your charging sessions billed.
