IEC 62196 Plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets – Conductive charging of electric vehicles, also known as CCS Combo, is a series of international standards that define requirements and tests for plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets for conductive charging of electric vehicles.

Several parts of this series of standards have been published as European standards (EN 62196 series. Similar requirements are contained in SAE J1772 which is widely applied in the USA.

The Modular EV Power AVC2 or AVC2.r module interface the service equipment (EVSE) using 3 pins with identical voltages and signals for both J1772 and IEC 62196-2 applications. 

Contents

IEC 62196-2 extends IEC 62196-1 and describes specific designs of plugs, socket-outlets, vehicle connectors and vehicle inlets that are intended to be used for AC charging of electric vehicles in the modes 1, 2 and 3 as described by IEC 61851-1. The specific designs are grouped into three configurations.

The designs are described with sufficient detail to allow compatibility between products of different manufacturers.

Configurations

Type 1

Type 1 connector

This configuration consists of a vehicle coupler (vehicle connector and vehicle inlet).

Because the original design was made by the manufacturer Yazaki and first published in SAE J1772, it is colloquially known as the “Yazaki connector” or “J1772 connector”.

It features a round housing, which has a notch on the vehicle inlet for proper orientation, with five pin-and-sleeve contacts for two AC conductors, a protective conductor and two signal pins that are used for the control pilot function (according to IEC 61851-1 Annex A) and for proximity detection (using an auxiliary switch and no current coding, according to IEC 61851-1 Annex B). When inserted into the vehicle inlet, the connector is held in place by a mechanical latch, which is part of the connector.

IEC 62196-2 describes this configuration with an operating current up to 32 A, allowing a maximum current of 80 A only for applications in the USA, where this higher operating current is also described by SAE J1772.  This configuration only supports single-phase charging. It is widely used in the US and Japan.

Type 2

Type 2 connector

This configuration consists of a plug and socket-outlet that support charging in mode 3, as described in IEC 61851-1, and a vehicle coupler, consisting of vehicle connector and vehicle inlet, that supports charging in modes 2 and 3

Because the original design was made by the manufacturer Mennekes, it is colloquially known as the “Mennekes connector”.

Type 2 plug and socket pinouts.

It features a round housing, which is flattened on one side for proper orientation, with up to seven pin-and-sleeve contacts for up to four AC conductors, a protective conductor and two signal pins that are used for the control pilot function (according to IEC 61851-1 Annex A) and for simultaneous proximity detection and current coding (according to IEC 61851-1 Annex B). By design, the contacts cannot be touched by the standardized test finger. Since the second edition of the standard, additional touch protection of the contacts can optionally be provided by shutters. When inserted into the inlet, the connector is held in place by the locking mechanism, which is attached to the inlet. The same concept is used by the socket-outlet to hold the plug-in place.

Within the European Union, regulation requires all public AC charging stations to be equipped with a type 2 socket-outlet or a type 2 connector.