EV Charging Terminology

Cable length is the usable length of a tethered charging cable or supplied charging lead. It is normally checked against vehicle compatibility, socket or cable arrangement, installation design and the intended user group.

CB Certification refers to the IECEE CB Scheme, an international system for recognising electrical product safety test reports and certificates between participating certification bodies. A CB certificate is normally supported by a CB test report against relevant IEC standards.

CCS1 is a Combined Charging System connector variant used mainly in North America for DC fast charging. It is normally checked against vehicle compatibility, socket or cable arrangement, installation design and the intended user group.

CCS2 is the Combined Charging System connector variant commonly used in the UK and Europe for DC rapid and ultra-rapid charging. It is normally checked against vehicle compatibility, socket or cable arrangement, installation design and the intended user group.

A CE Declaration is a declaration that a product meets the applicable EU requirements for placing that product on the EU market. In many cases, this declaration can be issued by the manufacturer themselves, depending on the applicable legislation and conformity assessment route.

A cellular modem connects a charger to mobile data networks such as 4G or 5G. It is normally considered alongside site connectivity, router/modem configuration, signal availability and ongoing remote support.

CHAdeMO is a DC fast charging connector system used by some older EVs and certain vehicle models. It is normally checked against vehicle compatibility, socket or cable arrangement, installation design and the intended user group.

A Charge Point Management System is software used to monitor, control, configure and manage EV charging infrastructure. It is normally considered alongside charge point management systems, OCPP support, firmware updates, reporting and remote diagnostics.

A Charge Point Operator (CPO) is the organisation responsible for operating one or more EV charge points. Under UK public charging regulation, the CPO is the charge point owner or the person operating it on the owner's behalf. Depending on the commercial arrangement, the CPO may manage availability, maintenance, pricing, payments, roaming, data, customer support and backend operation directly or through contracted service providers.

Charging mode describes the method by which an electric vehicle is connected to an electrical supply for charging. It covers whether charging is AC or DC, whether dedicated EV supply equipment is used, whether control communication is present, and what level of protection or control exists between the supply and vehicle.

Charging Mode 1 is basic AC charging where an electric vehicle is connected directly to a standard socket-outlet without dedicated EV control communication or dedicated EVSE control functions.

Charging Mode 2 uses a standard AC socket-outlet with an in-cable control and protection device between the supply and the vehicle. It is typically seen in portable charging leads rather than fixed charge points.

Charging Mode 3 uses dedicated AC electric vehicle supply equipment with control pilot communication between the charger and vehicle. The charger manages connection state, available current signalling and safety-related control functions.

Charging Mode 4 uses dedicated DC charging equipment that supplies DC power directly to the vehicle battery through a DC charging interface. The charger carries out the AC-to-DC conversion outside the vehicle.

A client is a device or software component that connects to a server to request services, exchange data or maintain a communication session. In EV charging it can describe a networking or software client, but in some controller-based architectures it may also be used as a modern alternative to “slave” for a device coordinated by a controller.

A Co-Funded Model is a CPO commercial arrangement in which the capital cost of EV charging infrastructure is shared between the Charge Point Operator and another party, such as a site host, local authority, grant scheme or other funding body. A prominent UK example is LEVI, where public LEVI capital is typically combined with private CPO investment and delivered through a concession contract.

Combined Charging System (CCS) is an EV charging system and connector family designed to support both AC and DC charging through a common vehicle inlet concept. Its two main connector variants are CCS1 (Combo 1), used mainly in North America, and CCS2 (Combo 2), which is the relevant CCS format for most UK and European EV charging.

Configurable current allows the maximum charging current to be set or limited during installation or configuration. It is normally assessed against site capacity, maximum demand, charger grouping and the behaviour expected when electrical demand changes.

Contactless payment allows users to pay for charging using a bank card, phone or compatible contactless payment method. It is normally assessed alongside measurement accuracy, payment records, tariffs, transaction data and legal metrology requirements.

A controller is hardware or software that manages charger operation, load control, communication or site-level coordination. In modern controller-worker terminology it can also replace the older term “master” in master-slave configurations, referring to the coordinating device or system that directs one or more worker/client devices.