Everything you need to know to charge an electric car away from home

Buying an electric car is not as simple as when you have to choose diesel or gasoline. Not only does the type of energy we use change, but we must take into account new concepts and terms, as well as habits and a whole series of conditions when charging the car away from home.

The technical sheets of electric cars and sellers tell us about different charging powers, Mode 2 cables, and Shuko, Mennekes, CCS, or Combo 2 plugs. It all sounds a bit strange, but in reality, it is very simple.

Glossary of the most commonly used abbreviations when talking about electric cars and recharging.

kW (kilowatt). The kilowatt (abbreviated kW) is the unit used to measure electrical power. Power is the rate at which energy is transferred, generated, or used. The basic unit is the watt (abbreviated W after the Scottish engineer and inventor James Watt, who developed the concept of horsepower to measure power). One kW is 1,000 W.

kWh (kilowatt hour). The kilowatt hour (abbreviated kWh) is the unit used to measure the capacity of our car's battery. The base unit is the watt-hour (Wh), but since batteries are so large, it is referred to as kWh (1 kWh = 1,000 Wh).

AC or alternating current. Alternating current, commonly abbreviated as AC, is the variation of electrical charges in direction and time with periodic changes in voltage and current. It is the current that is used in the domestic environment. An AC charger is a slow charger.

DC or direct current. The direct current is, as its name indicates, a constant current, the voltage does not vary, and it is maintained with respect to the direction and time. Its most common abbreviation is DC, from English Direct Current. In Spain, it is also abbreviated as CD, direct current, or as CC, Continuous Current. It is the currency used in fast chargers. Thus, when talking about a DC or DC charger, we will know that it will necessarily be a fast charger.

What plugs does my car have?

Type 2 or Mennekes

All new electric cars sold in Europe are equipped by law with a Type 2 plug (IEC 62196 standard). It is popularly known as Mennekes, the name of its German manufacturer. However, it does not allow fast charging via direct current (DC), it only charges in AC current up to 22 kW.

CCS 2, or Combined Charging System 2

All new electric cars sold in the EU that accept fast direct current (DC) charges, that is, at least 50 kW, are equipped with the CCS 2 plug (for Combined Charging System 2), also called Combo 2.

It is a two-in-one socket. It combines the possibility of charging in three-phase alternating current (AC) up to powers of 22 kW with a Type 2 connector or in direct current (DC, or direct current) of up to 350 kW of power, thanks to the lower connector.

When looking for a public fast charging point, we will not have to worry about whether or not it will be compatible with our car. They are all compatible with all new electric cars.

If there is a charging standard, why does the car come with multiple cables?

The Mode 2 cable is characterized by having a domestic plug at one end and a Type 2 plug at the other end, as well as a charge control unit between the two that cuts the load in the event of an anomaly in the electrical network ( overvoltage, current difference, etc.). It is important to always carry it in the trunk, since many of the public slow charging points, such as in parking lots, do not have a cable.

The Mode 3 cable has Type 2 connectors at both ends and without a charging control unit, since it is in the charging point itself. The charging power can be up to 22 kW in three-phase AC current.

where can I charge my car?

These are the types of charging points and associated connectors.

1. Slow charge. The car can be charged from 1.8 kW of power to 12 kW, in AC current, with the Mode 2 cable that comes in the trunk of the car.
2. Semi-fast charge. The charging points of 22 kW of power in AC current are considered a semi-fast charge. In these cases, the use of Mode 3 cable is the norm.
3. Fast charge. Public fast charging points are considered to be those that deliver a power of at least 50 kW. They work exclusively in direct current (DC) via their own joint cable of the point and CCS 2 connector.

How long will it take to charge my car?

It is essentially a matter of charging power. The higher the power, the faster the charge will be. For example, in AC current, between a charging power of 3.7 kW and a charging power of 7.4 kW, the theoretical charging time is divided by two. And charging at 22 kW of power means charging up to six times faster than with 3.7 kW.

However, the power that our car accepts is decisive. If our car does not support more than 6.6 kW in AC current, the 7.4 kW charging point to which we have plugged it will never recharge our car at 7.4 kW but will do so at a maximum of 6.6 kW.

The same thing happens in direct current fast charging points. If our model accepts a charging power of up to 150 kW and the charging point can deliver up to 350 kW, our car will charge at a maximum of 150 kW.

We must see the charging power of a public charging point as the maximum flow of energy that can be asked of it, and not as what it will give us. This will be determined by the maximum load power that our car accepts. And that is the fact that we must look at when choosing an electric car.

In addition, there are other factors that can influence the time we spend at a fast charging point, such as the power delivery itself or the ambient and battery temperatures.