The Combined Charging System, or CCS, is the most common electric vehicle fast-charging standard. In the US, the CCS connector is one of two types of EV plugs that you may encounter, with the other being Tesla’s NACS (short for North American Charging Standard). In Europe, CCS is on all new cars, even Teslas.
Few of us have given any thought to the dispenser that pours fluid into combustion-engined cars. However, when it comes to your electric car, knowing what type of connector it uses is crucial before departing on a road trip in many parts of the world.
Here’s the lowdown on CCS.
What Is CCS?
CCS is a charging standard for electric vehicles. In more practical terms, it’s one of the plugs you will see when pulling up to a DC fast charger.
While a slow Level 1 charger may need several days to charge an EV, and a dedicated home charger can do it overnight, a DC fast charger can get you back on the road within less than an hour, or less in newer vehicles.
CCS is one of the most common plugs for this task in many parts of the world. You should keep in mind thatthe US CCS plug is not compatible with the European version. In the US, CCS was created around the popular J1772 (or Type 1) plug, while in Europe, the completely different Type 2 plug was used as a base instead.
How CCS Works
SAE International, formerly known as the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association came together to design the CCS standard for DC charging. There are different versions of CCS for different parts of the world.
CCS1, or CCS Combo 1, takes the J1772 plug and adds pins at the bottom for DC charging. CCS2, or CCS Combo 2, does the same thing, only with a Type 2 connector instead. On a CCS-equipped vehicle, the AC charging part occupies the top half of the port when in use, whereas a CCS charger covers the entire port. This is what makes it a “combined” charging system, since it merges AC and DC charging connectors into one, without needing an entirely separate charging port as found on CHAdeMO-equipped vehicles or those that have the GB/T standard in China.
But CCS doesn’t exclusively refer to the physical connector. There is a lot of electronic communication taking place between your car and the charger, wherever you plug it in. In other words, CCS also provides a standard way of handling this communication. Interestingly, even though Tesla’s connector has a different shape and uses different charging stations, it actually communicates using the same CCS protocol.
Where Is CCS Used Around the World?
CCS2 is the dominant standard in Europe. This is because governments there mandated Tesla to use the same changing standard as everyone else. In Europe, Tesla’s Supercharger network used CCS2 even when the network was still restricted to Tesla cars.
In the US, there was considerable momentum behind CCS. By the time long-range EVs started to hit the market, most carmakers, aside from Tesla, had agreed to adopt the CCS standard. The same could be said for EV charging networks. Electrify America, EVgo, Chargepoint, and others all provided CCS fast charging.
The momentum shifted in 2023, whenFord announced it would adopt Tesla’s NACS charging standard. Shortly after,General Motors announced it would also adopt NACS.
Since this would account for most EVs in America, many charging networks announced they would start providing NACS charging. This was even though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law had guaranteed money for CCS charging networks.
This transition will take time, though, so even if automakers are working to consolidate NACS in North America, non-Tesla vehicles will still be hitting the road with CCS charging for a few more years. to not leave these or exiting EV owners stranded, most networks will continue to support CCS charging alongside NACS for many more years to come, asEV fast charging stations spread across the US.
In China, electric cars use a standard known as GB/T. Like in Europe, Tesla is required to use the same standard. But unlike other parts of the world, China’s domestic EV market is large enough, the competition strong enough, and the competing infrastructure plentiful enough to make it easier for Tesla to adopt the local charging standard rather than imposing its own.
Automakers make decisions primarily based on their domestic market rules as well as rules imposed by the largest markets they wish to sell in. This forces the rest of the world to adapt. Japan still has a lot of CHAdeMO infrastructure.
South Korea has a lot of CCS1, but this could change if Hyundai and Kia adopt NACS in North America, perhaps starting a transition away from CCS at home. In South America, many cars also use CCS2.
Which EVs Use CCS?
Most non-Tesla EVs come with CCS charging only. That will change starting in 2025, when Ford and GM plan to start shipping EVs with NACS. Other manufacturers have announced plans to do the same, but there’s little chance that cars from any other large manufacturers will start shipping NACS sooner. It’s also unclear if these companies will ship their cars with NACS exclusively or if they will come with both a CCS and NACS port.
In the meantime, cars from these manufacturers are expected to be able to charge at Tesla Superchargers using a NACS-to-CCS adapter. This will enable CCS-equipped cars to have the same access, even if drivers will need to have the adapter in the vehicle at all times. This is not dissimilar to the wayTesla drivers use adapters to charge at CCS stations.
Should You Buy a Car With CCS?
In Europe and some other parts of the world, this question is a non-issue. In the US, the situation is more complicated. If you rarely go on lengthy road trips, and you have the ability to charge at home, the fast-charging port doesn’t matter all that much.
But even if you depend on fast charging, there is a good chance you will still be able to charge at most stations in the years to come, as long as you’re comfortable using an adapter.
