Components / EV charging hardware / Type 2 connector

C-043·Components / EV charging hardware

Type 2 connector

The UK AC charging interface, its signalling and the compatibility limits hidden by a common plug shape.

Type 2 is the standard physical interface used for AC EV charging in the UK and Europe. It is found on fixed home chargepoints, many public AC posts and the upper part of a CCS Combo 2 vehicle inlet.

The connector is defined by the IEC 62196-2 family. As at 22 July 2026, the current international edition is IEC 62196-2:2025. It covers the dimensional compatibility of AC plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets. Charging-system control and safety requirements sit in the IEC 61851 series and in the fixed-installation rules.

Seven contacts with different jobs

The Type 2 layout has seven contact positions:

  • three line contacts, L1, L2 and L3
  • neutral
  • protective earth
  • control pilot
  • proximity pilot

Single-phase charging uses the conductors needed for that supply. Three-phase charging can use all three line contacts where the chargepoint, cable and vehicle support it.

The control pilot coordinates connection state and the current the chargepoint makes available. The proximity arrangement helps identify the cable’s capability and whether a connector is present. These signals are control and safety functions, not a general data connection for apps, tariffs or billing.

The plug does not set the charging power

Several products with the same Type 2 shape can have different current and phase ratings. Actual AC charging is limited by the weakest part of the chain:

  • the property’s supply and the chargepoint circuit
  • load-management or network limits
  • the chargepoint’s output
  • the detachable or tethered cable rating
  • the vehicle’s onboard AC charger
  • temperature or fault derating

A three-phase cable does not give a single-phase car three-phase charging. A higher-rated chargepoint does not make the onboard charger accept more. Conversely, an underrated detachable lead can cap an otherwise faster combination.

The current IEC standard contains connector ratings above normal domestic charging levels. Those are interface limits, not suggested settings for a home installation. The circuit and equipment must be designed for their declared rating.

Tethered and socketed forms

A tethered chargepoint has the vehicle connector fixed to its cable. A socketed or untethered chargepoint has a Type 2 outlet and uses a separate lead, normally Type 2 at the chargepoint end and whatever approved connector the vehicle needs at the other.

The choice changes convenience, cable storage and replacement. It does not by itself change smart functions, solar control, electrical protection or maximum charging power.

With a detachable cable, check its phase configuration and current rating rather than relying on the connector shape. The chargepoint-side lock and vehicle-side lock should hold the plugs during energy transfer. If a plug will not latch, do not defeat the lock or hold it in place manually.

Type 2 and CCS2

Type 2 on its own is an AC interface. CCS Combo 2 adds two larger DC contacts below the Type 2 section of the vehicle inlet. The combined inlet can accept a Type 2 connector for AC or a CCS2 connector for DC rapid charging.

This shared shape can cause two mistaken assumptions:

  • a Type 2 chargepoint cannot deliver DC merely because the car also has CCS2
  • a CCS2 inlet does not by itself prove bidirectional, Plug & Charge or vehicle-to-grid support

Those functions depend on further power electronics, communication and software.

Type 1 vehicles and conversion leads

Some older vehicles have a Type 1 AC inlet. A purpose-made Mode 3 lead can have Type 2 at the chargepoint end and Type 1 at the vehicle end. That is a complete rated cable assembly, not a loose travel adaptor.

Do not use an unapproved adaptor or join charging leads to gain length. Extra interfaces can interfere with pilot or locking behaviour and introduce contacts not monitored as part of the original assembly. Use one correctly rated cable approved for the vehicle and chargepoint.

Smart features are separate

Type 2 defines a charging interface. It does not establish whether a unit can:

  • follow a tariff schedule
  • divert solar surplus
  • balance site load
  • communicate using OCPP
  • identify a contract using ISO 15118 Plug & Charge
  • keep its smart functions after a supplier switch

Private chargepoints sold within the scope of the Great Britain smart-charge-point regulations have device-level obligations, but compliance with those regulations is separate from Type 2 connector compliance.

Inspection and use

Before connecting, look for damage, contamination, bent or recessed contacts, a loose strain relief or a cracked enclosure. Keep the cable supported so it does not pull sideways on the inlet. Do not drive over it or route it where it becomes a trip hazard.

End a session using the vehicle or chargepoint’s normal control before unplugging. If a locked connector will not release, follow the vehicle and chargepoint instructions rather than forcing it.

For a replacement cable, match:

  • connector at each end
  • number of phases
  • current rating
  • length and reach to the parked vehicle
  • environmental and mechanical rating
  • manufacturer approval and conformity information

Applies to

EV charging

Last reviewed

22 Jul 2026