Combined Charging System

The Combined Charging System (CCS) is a charging station standard for plug-in electric vehicles that uses the Combo 1 (CCS1) or Combo 2 (CCS2) connectors, which are extensions of the IEC 62196 Type 1 and Type 2 alternating current (AC) connectors, respectively, each with two additional direct current (DC) contacts to allow high-power fast charging. CCS chargers can provide power to electric vehicle batteries at up to 500 kW (max. 1000 V and 500 A), and in response to demands for even faster charging, 400 kW CCS chargers have been deployed by charging networks and 990 kW CCS chargers have been demonstrated. Electric vehicles and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) are considered CCS-capable if they support either AC or DC charging according to the CCS standards. Manufacturers that support CCS include BMW, Daimler, FCA, Jaguar, Groupe PSA, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, Mazda, MG, Nissan, Polestar, Renault, Rivian, Tesla, Mahindra, Tata Motors and Volkswagen Group, as well as Ford and General Motors for their 2024 North American EV models. Chinese automakers such as BYD, Chery and Zeekr also export CCS2 vehicles for their overseas markets. The CCS standard allows AC charging using the Type 1 and Type 2 connector depending on the geographical region and the charging infrastructure available. This charging environment encompasses charging couplers, charging communication, charging stations, the electric vehicle and various functions for the charging process such as load balancing and charge authorization. Competing charging systems for high-power DC charging include CHAdeMO (widely used in Japan, previously used in North America and Europe), GB/T (China), and the North American Charging System developed by Tesla.