IEC 62196 Compared: Type 2, CCS1, CCS2, GB/T, NACS and CHAdeMO

Six charging standards, three of them mutually incompatible, and a vehicle that may need to sell in all of their markets. This is the plain-language comparison of Type 2, CCS1, CCS2, GB/T, NACS and CHAdeMO — what each one is actually for, where it is used, and what it means for the hardware you specify.

The AC versus DC distinction

AC charging uses the vehicle’s own on-board charger to convert grid AC to DC. DC charging bypasses it entirely and feeds the pack directly from an off-board converter. That is why AC is limited by what the car carries — typically up to 22 kW — while DC can reach several hundred kilowatts.

The standards split along the same line. Type 2 is an AC connector. CCS1, CCS2, GB/T DC, NACS and CHAdeMO carry DC.

The six standards, compared

Type 2 (IEC 62196-2)

The European AC standard. Up to 32 A single-phase or up to 63 A three-phase, so up to 22 kW. Round, seven-pin. Used across Europe and increasingly elsewhere for AC.

CCS2 (Combo 2)

Europe’s DC standard: the Type 2 AC connector with two large DC pins added underneath. One inlet handles both AC and DC, which is why it displaced CHAdeMO in Europe. Rated to 500 A with liquid cooling.

CCS1 (Combo 1)

The North American equivalent — the Type 1 AC connector with the same two DC pins added. Physically incompatible with CCS2. Still widely installed across North America.

NACS

The North American Charging Standard, originally Tesla’s connector, now being adopted broadly across North America. Compact, AC and DC on the same two power pins. Most North American OEMs have announced migration to it.

GB/T 20234

China’s national standard, separate AC and DC connectors. Mandatory for the Chinese market. Our charging couplers and vehicle inlets cover it.

CHAdeMO

The Japanese DC standard. Largely displaced elsewhere but still present in Japan and in legacy installations.

What this means for hardware

• The inlet is a regional variant. Body-in-white and harness change per market unless mounting geometry is standardised across the family.
• The charger itself is standard-agnostic for AC — it is the inlet and coupler that differ.
• DC fast charging does not involve the OBC at all. It feeds the pack through the contactors directly.
• Adapters help fleets, not compliance. See our cross-standard adapters.

Conclusion

Specify the inlet for the market the vehicle sells in, and the charger for the power and platform it needs. They are separate decisions, and conflating them is the most common specification error we see.

Related questions → Grapcharger FAQ