Types of EV Charging Plugs in the UK: Type 2, CCS and AC Charging Explained
The short answer
There are two EV charging plugs that matter in the UK today: Type 2 for AC charging (home, workplace, holiday let and most on-street chargers) and CCS for DC rapid charging at motorway services and hubs. Almost every new electric car sold in the UK has a CCS inlet, which accepts both. CHAdeMO and Type 1 are older standards you'll mainly find on early Nissan Leafs.
If you're fitting a charger at home or at a holiday let, you only need to think about Type 2 and AC charging. The rest is useful background for when you're out on the road.
Types of EV charging plugs in the UK at a glance
| Plug | AC or DC | Typical power | Where you'll find it | Cars that use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 2 | AC | 3.7–7.4kW single-phase, up to 22kW three-phase | Home, workplace, holiday let, on-street, car parks | Almost all modern EVs |
| CCS (CCS2) | DC | 25kW to 400kW+ | Rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers | Almost all new EVs in the UK and Europe |
| CHAdeMO | DC | Usually 50kW | Some older rapid units | Older Nissan Leaf and a few early imports |
| Type 1 | AC | Up to 7.4kW | Rare in the UK now | Some older EVs |
| 3-pin plug | AC | About 2.3kW | Any household socket via a "granny cable" | Any EV, as a last resort |
Power figures from Zapmap's connector guide.
Type 2: the UK standard for AC charging
Type 2 (sometimes called Mennekes, after the German company that designed it) is the seven-pin plug with a flat top edge. It's the standard for AC charging across the UK and Europe, so it's what you'll find on nearly every home wallbox and public post.
Type 2 chargers come in two forms:
- Tethered: the cable is fixed to the charger. You just unhook it and plug in.
- Untethered (socketed): the charger has a socket, and the driver brings their own Type 2 to Type 2 cable. Most public AC posts work this way.
The car's side of the cable is the same either way. A tethered charger is tidier and quicker to use. A socketed charger works with any car, including older Type 1 vehicles, as long as the driver has the right cable.
What is AC charging?
Your mains electricity is alternating current (AC), but car batteries store direct current (DC). With AC charging, the charger passes AC power to the car and the car's own onboard charger converts it to DC. That's why AC charging speed depends on two things: what the charge point can supply and what the car's onboard charger can accept.
For example, a 22kW three-phase charger connected to a car with an 11kW onboard charger will only ever deliver 11kW. Most UK homes and holiday lets have a single-phase supply, which tops out at around 7.4kW. That's the 7kW charger you'll see quoted almost everywhere.
CCS: the plug for DC rapid charging
CCS (Combined Charging System) is a Type 2 socket with two large DC pins added underneath. That's why a modern EV's charging port looks like a Type 2 with an extra section below it. The top half takes AC from a home charger, and the full port takes DC from a rapid charger.
With DC charging, the conversion from AC to DC happens inside the charging unit, not the car, so power can go straight into the battery at much higher rates. Public rapid chargers start at around 50kW and ultra-rapid hubs go to 150kW and beyond. Rapid chargers always have a tethered cable, so drivers never need to bring one.
DC chargers need a large commercial electricity supply and cost many thousands of pounds to install. They aren't a realistic option for a house or a holiday cottage.
CHAdeMO and Type 1: the older plugs
CHAdeMO is a Japanese DC rapid-charging standard, best known on the older Nissan Leaf. Some public rapid units in Cornwall and Devon still have a CHAdeMO cable alongside CCS, but new cars no longer use it.
Type 1 is an older five-pin AC plug. It works on single-phase only. Drivers with a Type 1 car can use any socketed Type 2 charger with a Type 1 to Type 2 cable.
Charging speeds: what the numbers mean in practice
| Charger | Power | Range added per hour (approx.) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-pin plug | 2.3kW | 7–9 miles | Emergency top-up only |
| Home or holiday let wallbox | 7kW | 20–30 miles | Overnight charging |
| Three-phase AC | 11–22kW | 35–75 miles (car-dependent) | Businesses, larger sites |
| Rapid DC | 50kW | Around 150 miles | Motorway services, hubs |
Range figures are rough. They assume an efficiency of 3 to 3.5 miles per kWh and vary by car, weather and driving style.
A 7kW charger running for 8 hours overnight delivers roughly 50–55kWh. That's enough to fully charge most mid-sized EVs from low, which is why 7kW suits homes and holiday lets.
Which plug should a home or holiday let charger have?
For almost every property in the South West, the answer is a 7kW smart charger with a Type 2 connection. The only real decision is tethered or socketed:
- Tethered works best for guests and visitors. Nobody has to dig a cable out of the boot, and the cable fits every modern EV.
- Socketed gives you more flexibility if you want to serve the occasional older Type 1 car, but guests must bring their own cable. Some will forget it.
New home and workplace chargers sold in Great Britain must also meet the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. That means they must be smart: connected, able to schedule charging, and set to avoid peak hours by default. For a holiday let, the smart features also make paid charging possible. The charger meters each session, and the guest pays through an app or QR code.
What it costs to run and what guests pay
| Item | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Standard electricity tariff | About 25–28p/kWh |
| Overnight off-peak EV tariff | About 7–9p/kWh |
| Fair price to charge guests | 35–45p/kWh |
| 50kWh guest session at 40p/kWh | £20 paid by the guest |
On a standard tariff, that 50kWh session costs you about £13 and earns roughly £7. On an off-peak EV tariff, the margin is much bigger. The guest pays far less than they would at a rapid charger, and you cover your costs.
FAQ
What are the main types of EV charging plugs in the UK? Type 2 for AC charging and CCS for DC rapid charging. CHAdeMO and Type 1 still exist but are mostly found on older cars.
What is the difference between AC and DC charging? With AC charging, the car converts the electricity to DC using its onboard charger, which limits the speed to around 7–22kW. With DC charging, the charging unit does the conversion, so power can go straight into the battery at 50kW or more.
Will a Type 2 charger work with every electric car? Yes for almost all modern EVs, including Tesla, because they have Type 2 or CCS inlets. Older Type 1 cars can use a socketed Type 2 charger with an adapter cable.
Do I need a three-phase supply for a home or holiday let charger? No. Most UK properties are single-phase, and a 7kW charger is all you need for overnight charging. Three-phase only matters if you want 11kW or 22kW AC charging.
Can I just let guests use a 3-pin plug? We wouldn't recommend it. At about 2.3kW, it adds only a few miles per hour. Household sockets aren't designed to carry that load for hours at a time, and you can't meter or charge for the electricity.
Thinking about the right charger for your holiday let? Manta Power arranges smart, guest-pay chargers for holiday let owners across Cornwall, Devon and the South West, fitted by our local installation partners. See the holiday let offer, work out your earnings with our calculator, or call 07441 353701.
