A portable EV charger has three parts that must match the destination market: the vehicle connector, the wall plug and the control box that sets the charging current. Getting any of them wrong means a product your customers cannot use.
Vehicle connector
Europe uses the Type 2 connector defined in IEC 62196-2. Almost every electric car sold in the EU accepts it for AC charging.
North America has used the J1772 connector (SAE J1772) for AC charging for more than a decade. Many manufacturers are now moving to the NACS connector (SAE J3400), so buyers increasingly ask for both versions or for adapters.
Wall plug
- EU: Schuko for household sockets, or a blue CEE 16 A / 32 A plug for industrial outlets.
- UK: BS 1363 three-pin plug.
- US and Canada: NEMA 5-15 for 120 V Level 1 charging, NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 for 240 V Level 2 charging.
Current and power
On a single-phase 230 V supply, 16 A gives about 3.7 kW and 32 A about 7.4 kW. In the US, Level 1 at 120 V delivers roughly 1.4 kW, while Level 2 at 240 V and 32 A delivers about 7.7 kW. An adjustable current setting lets drivers match the charger to the circuit they plug into.
What to ask your supplier
- Which connector, plug and cable length each model uses.
- Which protections are built in: residual current, over-current, over-voltage, over-temperature.
- Which test reports are available for your market, for example CE (LVD / EMC) for Europe or UL for the US.
Not sure which version fits your customers? Send us your target market and we will recommend a configuration.