Type 2, Mode 3, Type 1, Mode 2: when you first look into EV charging, you run into a lot of terms. The principle behind them is simple. The Type describes the plug, the Mode describes how the car is charged.
Type 2: the plug
Type 2 is the standard plug for AC charging in Europe. Almost all new electric cars in Europe have a Type 2 charging port, and public AC charging posts in the EU are equipped with Type 2. The plug has seven contacts and can charge on one or three phases.
Type 1 is the older single-phase plug, used mainly in older models from Asia and North America. For those cars there are cables with Type 2 on the charging-post side and Type 1 on the car side.
Mode 2 and Mode 3: the way of charging
- Mode 2: charging from a regular household socket with a cable that has a built-in control box. It is slow and meant more as a backup.
- Mode 3: charging at a wallbox or a public AC charging post. A Mode 3 charging cable usually has a Type 2 plug on both ends. This is the cable most EV drivers carry in the trunk.
- Mode 4: DC fast charging. Here the cable is fixed to the charging station, you do not need your own.
Which charging cable do you need?
For a wallbox without a tethered cable and for public AC charging posts, you need a Mode 3 cable with a Type 2 plug. Also importaType is the plug, Mode is the way of charging. A short, simple explanation.nt:
- Current and phases: cables come in 16 A (up to 11 kW on three phases) and 32 A (up to 22 kW on three phases). A 32 A cable is thicker and heavier and only pays off if both car and charging point use the higher power.
- Length: about 5 to 10 meters is common. A longer cable reaches more parking positions but is heavier and more likely to end up on the ground.
And where to put the cable?
A Mode 3 cable is several meters long and quickly ends up in the dirt while charging. The Cable Cobra fits all Type 2 charging cables (Mode 3), regardless of brand or thickness. It stays on the cable, keeps the unused part coiled above the ground while charging, and makes the cable lie flat in the trunk.
In short
- Type = plug, Mode = way of charging.
- Type 2 is the European standard for AC charging.
- For wallboxes and public AC posts you need a Mode 3 cable with Type 2.
- For fast charging (Mode 4) the cable is fixed to the station.
