EV Charging Terminology Glossary

What is Type 2?

Type 2 (Mennekes, IEC 62196-2) is the connector type that is the AC charging standard for Europe and Turkey. Its most important feature is that it supports both single-phase and three-phase charging; this allows it to be used at different power levels from 7.4 kW up to 22 kW, depending on your installation. In Turkey, this is the standard connector you'll come across in home and workplace AC charging, and it's used on wall-mounted AC charging stations (wallboxes) and on Type 2 cables. In other words, Type 2 is the connector you'll deal with most often in day-to-day charging. In addition, CCS2, the DC fast-charging standard, is built on top of Type 2, with two DC pins added beneath this connector.

What does OCPP do?

OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is the open communication protocol between a charging device and a central management system (CSMS). A CSMS is the central software that manages charging points remotely. The fact that the protocol is open allows devices from different manufacturers to speak a common language. Thanks to it, functions such as remote monitoring, load management and per-user billing become possible; that is, you can track a charging point remotely, share the available capacity among devices, and measure who charged how much. It can also be used together with RFID/NFC card authorisation. These features become especially important in workplace, building and fleet installations where several devices are managed.

What is the difference between Mode 2 and Mode 3?

Mode 2 is a portable charging cable that plugs into a standard socket and has a control box called an IC-CPD on it; it operates at low to medium power and, thanks to its flexibility, is handy for emergency or temporary charging. Mode 3 is a cable connected to a fixed charging station (wallbox). Mode 3 provides charging that is both safer and at higher power than Mode 2; this is why the preferred method for regular, permanent use at home or work is Mode 3. In short, Mode 2 suits portability, while Mode 3 suits safe, fast fixed charging.

What is the difference between kW and kWh?

kW (kilowatt) expresses power, that is, the instantaneous charging speed; it shows how quickly the device is delivering energy to the battery at that moment. kWh (kilowatt-hour) expresses energy; it indicates battery capacity or the amount of electricity delivered to the vehicle. You can tell them apart like this: kW is like the flow rate of a tap, while kWh is like the total amount of water that fills up after the flow. From this relationship you can also roughly calculate charging time: the duration is found approximately by dividing the energy to be delivered (kWh) by the charging power (kW). For example, dividing 22 kWh of energy by 11 kW of power gives a charging time of roughly 2 hours; this is why it's important not to confuse these two units.

What is the difference between AC and DC charging?

In AC (alternating current) charging, converting the current into the direct current (DC) the battery needs is done by the vehicle's onboard charger. This onboard unit also caps the AC charging speed. That's why AC charging is generally slow to medium speed (7.4–22 kW), is suitable for home and workplace, and in Turkey uses the Type 2 connector. In DC (direct current) charging, the conversion is done inside the station and high power is delivered straight to the battery; that means fast charging (50–350+ kW). DC is usually found at public points and, in Turkey, uses the CCS2 connector.

What is CCS2?

CCS2 (Combined Charging System / Combo 2) is the Type 2 connector with two DC pins added beneath it, and it is the DC fast-charging standard for Europe and Turkey. Thanks to this design, the same connector area can house both AC and DC connections; in practice, many vehicles have Type 2 (AC) on top and CCS2 (DC) below together. CCS2 should be thought of not as a rival to Type 2 but as its extended version for DC. Because the conversion is done inside the station in DC charging, high power is delivered straight to the battery. When taking a high-power charge at a public fast-charging station in Turkey, the connector you'll come across will most likely be CCS2.

What does V2L mean?

V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) is the feature that lets the vehicle battery supply electricity to external devices or to the home; in other words, it lets you use your vehicle as a kind of portable power source. This is one of the solutions where the direction of energy flows outward from the vehicle. Working on a similar logic, C2L (Charger-to-Load) provides the same kind of electricity transfer through the charging device. A more advanced concept, V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid), is feeding electricity from the vehicle battery straight back into the power grid. So while V2L sends energy from the vehicle battery and C2L from the charger to external devices, in V2G the energy stored in the vehicle battery is returned to the grid. In short, V2L is a practical feature that opens up the vehicle's energy for everyday use.