[RickMGoldie]

I wanted to start a thread to expand common knowledge on the implications of CCS. Mine is partial only. The first question I have is about the CCS socket in cars like the E-Up! and the BMW i3, and the fact that the top half of the frankenplug looks exactly like a Mennenkes type 2, so can a type 2 tethered cable (or a type 2 - type 2 cable) be plugged into the cars CCS socket for slower charging? If not is there a converter available?

 

[Matt Beard]

I wanted to start a thread to expand common knowledge on the implications of CCS. Mine is partial only. The first question I have is about the CCS socket in cars like the E-Up! and the BMW i3, and the fact that the top half of the frankenplug looks exactly like a Mennenkes type 2, so can a type 2 tethered cable (or a type 2 - type 2 cable) be plugged into the cars CCS socket for slower charging? If not is there a converter available?

Yes, the idea of CCS is that you get slow(ish) AC and rapid DC in the same connector.

 

[jontracey]

Yes, the idea of CCS is that you get slow(ish) AC and rapid DC in the same connector.

at the same time ?

 

[jontracey]

I thought it was only designed like that to make a single socket on the car, if your using the fankenplug its DC only, if you want AC you use a normal type 2

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I think you misunderstand Matt there Jon... he is talking about the car. One connector to be used for both AC and DC charging.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

If you take a look at the CCS cable connector (on the left) you'll see it's missing the four AC power pins that are in the Type 2 car connector (on the right).

While it's theoretically possible to have a Charging Station connector that support both AC and DC in the real world today it's one or the other.

 

[jontracey]

so really the whole "combined" bit of the name was misleading it was just the EU trying to impose yet another standard ?

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

so really the whole "combined" bit of the name was misleading it was just the EU trying to impose yet another standard ?

To be fair both the IEC and SAE have taken the same approach for DC charging with the addition of extra pins to carry the DC current. Personally I think this is a reasonable compromise because we now have a connector that scales to 43kW AC and 100kW+ DC while still allowing Type 2 connector innovation like Tesla's pin improvements (135kW) or Mennekes mid-DC (~100kW).

What we really need now is for Nissan to support Type 2 and CCS in Europe so that we have a single AC/DC standard on vehicles.

Here's the US (SAE) version which uses identical protocols to the IEC version allowing a universal car design with a simple car connector change

 

[Mike McL]

So let me see if I understand, any car with a CCS socket can charge at any charging point with a CCS plug. AC or DC dependant upon the car.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Nearly...

Any car with CCS can charge on a CCS DC charger or an type 2 (in Europe) AC charger. How fast they charge on AC depends on what charger they have on the car.

CCS is DC only AFAIR.

 

[Mike McL]

Nearly...

Any car with CCS can charge on a CCS DC charger or an type 2 (in Europe) AC charger. How fast they charge on AC depends on what charger they have on the car.

CCS is DC only AFAIR.

Thank you for that. Some of us have difficulty understanding all the technology, so thanks again for explaining

 

[Lee Dalton]

Thank you for that. Some of us have difficulty understanding all the technology, so thanks again for explaining

Minefield doesn't really do it justice

 

[RickMGoldie]

I went to test drive an e-up on Saturday and it can only take 16A on the Mennenkes type 2 connection (which can indeed be regular type 2 tether or cable.) the Combined is the only way to charge en-route with rapid-dc. 11kw I think they said.