EV connector types: CCS, Type 2, CHAdeMO, NACS

Every EV has either one or two ports. AC charging — from home wallboxes and slower destination chargers — comes in through a Type 2 socket (in Europe, the UK and Australia) and is converted to DC by the car's onboard charger. DC rapid charging bypasses the onboard charger and pushes DC straight into the battery via a larger connector like CCS, CHAdeMO or NACS.

On a modern EV like a Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, BYD Atto 3, Renault Megane E-Tech or MG4, both functions are combined in a single CCS Combo 2 port: the upper part is Type 2 for AC, the lower two pins handle DC.

Type 2 (Mennekes, IEC 62196-2) is the universal AC connector across Europe, the UK and Australia. Every home wallbox uses it, every supermarket and hotel destination charger uses it, and every new EV in our coverage area has at least the Type 2 part of the port.

Power levels range from 3.7 kW (single phase, 16 A) up to 22 kW (three phase, 32 A). The cap in practice is your car's onboard AC charger — most modern EVs accept 11 kW; a few accept 22 kW; some entry-level cars are limited to 7.4 kW.

CCS — Combined Charging System — adds two large DC pins below the Type 2 socket. It's the de facto rapid charging standard across the UK, EU and Australia, supported by virtually every public DC charger and every new mainstream EV since around 2020.

Real-world power runs from 50 kW (older urban chargers) through 150 kW (the modern default at most motorway sites) up to 350 kW on the latest ultra-rapid stalls. Your car's peak is the real limit — see our rapid charging guide for what each EV actually pulls.

CHAdeMO is the original Japanese DC fast-charging standard, used by the first-generation Nissan Leaf, early Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs and a handful of other early Japanese imports. It's gradually being decommissioned: most new rapid sites still include one CHAdeMO stall for legacy cars, but new installations are increasingly CCS-only.

If you drive a 2018 or later EV in the UK, EU or Australia, you almost certainly do not need to think about CHAdeMO. If you drive a first-gen Leaf, plan around the shrinking footprint.

NACS (North American Charging Standard, originally Tesla's proprietary connector) dominates the US and Canada. In Europe, the UK and Australia, Tesla has used CCS Combo 2 for its Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X since the mid-2010s — so a European or Australian Tesla looks and charges identically to a Hyundai or Kia.

Tesla's Supercharger network in Europe, the UK and Australia is increasingly open to non-Tesla EVs over CCS. Check the Tesla app or the station page on EV Charge Routes to confirm which sites are open in your region.

If you only remember one table from this guide, this is it.

Knowing the connector is half the story; the other half is which networks actually deliver useful power on it. In the UK, EU and Australia, every major public rapid network now leads with CCS Combo 2: Ionity (350 kW CCS, plus a legacy CHAdeMO stall at most sites), Gridserve and InstaVolt (UK, mostly CCS-only on new builds), TotalEnergies, Allego, Fastned and Tesla Supercharger V3/V4 (open to non-Tesla CCS in many sites), Enel X Way and Be Charge (Italy), Evie Networks and Chargefox (Australia).

AC destination coverage is even simpler: every Type 2 wallbox in the UK, EU and Australia works with every modern EV, full stop. The variation is in payment — some require an operator-specific RFID card, most accept contactless. CHAdeMO coverage is still wide on legacy installs but actively shrinking; if you drive a CHAdeMO car, treat any rapid hub as 'probably has one stall' rather than guaranteed.

For 99% of UK, French, Italian and Australian drivers in 2026, the answer is: you don't need an adapter. The standard combo (Type 2 on the car for AC, CCS Combo 2 for DC) lines up with the standard combo on every public charger you'll meet.

The exceptions are narrow and worth knowing. A CHAdeMO-to-CCS adapter does not exist as a consumer product — if you drive a Nissan Leaf, you charge on CHAdeMO bays only. A Tesla-to-Type 2 adapter (the legacy UMC adapter) lets a European Tesla use older non-Type-2 sockets and is shipped with most cars. A NACS-to-CCS adapter is only relevant if you import a US-market Tesla, Ford or GM EV into our coverage area — and even then most owners simply prefer to use the abundant CCS network natively. There is no need for a 'CCS-to-Tesla' adapter in Europe, the UK or Australia, because Tesla uses CCS here.

If you do find yourself buying an adapter, prioritise certified units from the vehicle manufacturer or a major accessory brand. Cheap generic DC adapters from unknown sellers have been linked to overheating and connector damage; the connector is carrying hundreds of amps, and quality genuinely matters. Most modern EV warranties explicitly exclude damage caused by unapproved adapters, so check your manufacturer's accessory list before buying.

One adapter worth carrying regardless of car: a short Schuko (EU) or 3-pin (UK) or 10 A (AU) to Type 2 'granny' cable. It won't charge fast — 2.3 kW only — but it's the universal fallback when you're parked somewhere with no wallbox but a normal socket. Treat it as the equivalent of a jerry can: use it once or twice a year for emergencies, not as a primary charging method.

Charge port location matters for cable reach at home and at public stalls. Pull up to a stall on the wrong side and you'll need either a long cable or an awkward reverse. Below is the location for the most common 2025–2026 EVs in our coverage area.

For 95% of drivers in our coverage area, the answer is: Type 2 at home and at destinations, CCS Combo 2 for rapid charging on trips. You can plug into almost any public charger you find without worrying about adapters.

Use the connector filter on any station page on EV Charge Routes to confirm, especially in older urban areas where CHAdeMO-only or 7 kW Type 1 sites still exist. For a full list of which networks operate which standards, see our charging networks directory.