If you have an electric car, you need a charging cable or mobile home charger to charge your car. Which charging cable you need depends on several factors. One of the factors is the maximum charging speed and the type of plug your car supports. In this article we explain which types of charging cables there are and how to find out which one you need.
What do the types of connections look like?
Below you can see what a type 1 and a type 2 connection look like. The pictures show the shape of your car's charging socket.
Difference charging cable type 2 and type 1
The type of charging cable you need depends on the type of car you drive. The difference in type lies in the plug mounted on the cable. The most common connections in Europe are the charging cable type 2 Mennekes and the charging cable type 1 Yazaki. We have different options for each type of charging cable, with variations in, among other things, charging capacity and charging speed, straight or spiral and different lengths. We have both charging cables and mobile chargers for the home in type 2 Mennekes and type 1 Yazaki.
A charging cable has two sides, a car side and a charging station side. The charging station side is always a type 2 Mennekes connection. Type 2 is therefore the standard at all (public) charging stations that charge on alternating current (AC).
Type 2 Mennekes connection
A type 2 Mennekes plug is the European standard that can be connected to most European cars. With this connection you can charge on both 1-phase and 3-phase. In the Netherlands, most households have a 3-phase connection. The big advantage of charging on 3-phase is that it is faster than on 1-phase. Keep in mind that a type 2 connection does not automatically mean that the car can charge on 3 phases. The inverter in the car always determines whether it can charge on 1-phase or 3-phase.
Type 1 Yazaki connection
A type 1 Yazaki plug is mainly used for American, Japanese and Chinese vehicles. Most households in these countries have a 1-phase connection. For that reason, with a type 1 connection, you can only charge with 16A or 32A, depending on the charging capacity of your car.
Use our tool to find out which connection you need
Easily find out which type of connection you need?
This can be done via our car overview . Enter the model and year of your car. You will then see at the top which type you need.
Which common cars have a type 1 or type 2 connection?
We list the most common cars with these connections for you.
Most common cars with a Type 1 (Yazaki) connection: Most common cars with a Type 2 (Mennekes) connection: