Prioritize AC charging at home
Use AC charging with a Wallbox as your main charging source. The costs are around €0.35/kWh — significantly cheaper than any DC column.
Charging types for electric vehicles — AC, DC and HPC explained
Why the charging type is decisive
Not every charging technology suits every purpose. The choice of the right charging type significantly influences charging time, cost and battery health. LadeGuide helps you find the optimal technology for each situation.
1. AC charging (alternating current)
Area of application: At home, at work, during overnight stays
AC charging is the standard technology for slow charging over longer periods. The conversion from alternating current to direct current takes place in the vehicle's onboard charger.
| Stufe | Leistungsbereich | Geschwindigkeit | Dauer (0–80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal charging (Mode 2) | 1,4 – 3,7 kW | ~6–15 km/h | 8–20 Stunden |
| Regular charging (Mode 3) | 3,7 – 22 kW | ~15–80 km/h | 1.5–6 hours |
2. DC fast charging (CCS)
Area of application: Shopping centers, supermarkets, public charging parks
With DC charging, the rectification takes place outside the vehicle — in the charging column. This allows significantly higher power, because the onboard charger is bypassed.
| Type | Leistung | Dauer (10–80%) | Connector |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC fast charging (CCS) | 50 – 150 kW | 30–50 minutes | CCS2 |
| HPC (High Power Charging) | 150 – 400+ kW | 10–25 minutes | CCS2 |
| Megawatt (MCS) | 1 – 3,75 MW | 25–40 minutes (electric truck) | MCS |
3. What suits you? — The LadeGuide approach
Use HPC for long distances
On motorway corridors, only HPC is efficient. But: only use it when needed! LadeGuide calculates when a longer stop at an AC point would pay off.
Plan AC for overnight stays
If you stay 8+ hours, AC plays to its strength: charging overnight is significantly cheaper than an expensive DC charge. The app recognizes such cases and suggests AC instead of DC.
4. Connection types: EV charging at a Schuko socket
For the typical 1.5 mm² cable behind a Schuko socket (B16 fuse) the cable is usually not the bottleneck — under wiring type B/C it can carry 15–19 A. The bottleneck is the the Schuko socket itself: it is, according to the manufacturer's specifications, only designed for 8–10 A continuous load (terminals, clamp connections). Anyone who continuously draws more current generates heat at these points — the contacts can become discolored, melt, and in the worst case a fire occurs.
| Ladeleistung | current | Bewertung |
|---|---|---|
| 1,8 kW | 8 A | ✅ Safe at any Schuko socket, even on an older installation |
| 2,3 kW | 10 A | ✅ ADAC recommendation for Schuko continuous charging; 1.5 mm² is sufficient |
| 3,7 kW | 16 A | ❌ Not suitable for continuous charging at a Schuko socket — overloads terminals and clamp connections |
Schuko: B16 protects the cable, not the socket
The B16 fuse trips at 16 A — but the Steckdose must, however, carry the current continuously without tripping, while the car is charging. That's why a load above 10 A continuous is a heat and safety risk for the socket itself, which the circuit breaker doesn't even cover. Anyone who charges regularly should invest in their own charging technology.
On the efficiency side — why the socket is also the weakest charging type in terms of energy — the ADAC study in detail: Wallbox instead of socket.
5. Charging standards and connectors
In Europe, the Type-2 connector (Mennekes) is the most widespread configuration as the AC standard. For fast charging the Combined Charging System (CCS2) has become the European standard. Other connector systems remain mainly relevant for Asian or US-american vehicles.
| Connectortyp | currentart | Typeischer Leistungsbereich | Region / Verbreitung |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Type 1
SAE J1772 |
AC | 7,2–19,2 kW | North America, Japan — on older Asian vehicles in Europe; no longer fitted on current vehicle models |
|
Type 2 (Mennekes)
IEC 62196-2 |
AC | bis 22 kW (3-phasig, 32 A / 400 V) | European AC standard for Wallboxen and public AC columns — the most widely spread |
|
CCS2 (Combo 2)
IEC 62196-3 |
AC + DC | AC: as Type 2 · DC: up to 350–400+ kW (up to 1000 kW in development) | European DC/HPC standard; Type 2 base with two additional DC contacts under the socket |
|
CHAdeMO
J1772 |
DC | bis 50–90 kW | Originally a Japanese DC standard. In Europe only on older vehicles (e.g. first-generation Nissan Leaf, first-generation Kia Soul EV); no longer on current vehicle models — since the 2nd generation (from 2024) Nissan also uses CCS |
|
Tesla NACS
North American Charging Standard |
AC + DC | AC bis 11 kW · DC bis 250+ kW (Tesla-Superchargers) | Increasingly the standard in the USA (from 2025 for all US manufacturers); not yet widespread in Europe, CCS2 remains dominant |
6. EU marking: symbols C, K and L
Since March 2021, charging columns and electric cars in the EU have been marked with uniform honeycomb symbols (hexagons), regulated by the standard DIN EN 17186. The letter in the hexagon identifies the connector type and voltage range of the charging connection.
Recognizable at a glance: on the vehicle, the symbol sits in a schwarzen Sechseck, on the charging column in a white hexagon. If the two match, the connector fits — and the charging session can start.
| Symbol | Connector-Konfiguration | AC/DC | Spannungsbereich | Kontext |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | TYP 2 (Mennekes) | AC | bis 480 V | The most widespread — the standard for Wallboxen and public AC columns in Europe. |
| K | FF | DC | 50–500 V | DC fast charging (CCS), especially at older fast-charging stations and vehicles with a low DC voltage spectrum. |
| L | FF | DC | 200–920 V | Current HPC standard: up to 920 V enables high-performance charging (e.g. 800-V high-voltage architecture). |
Day-to-day compatibility
A vehicle with a CCS charging port typically carries the C (for the integrated Type-2 connection, which also serves AC charging) and at least one of the DC symbols K or L — depending on the vehicle's DC voltage window. At the column, the same symbol then indicates: this charging connection works. Common in Germany and Europe are C, K and L; rare variants like B (Type 1), D/E (Type 3-A/3-C, AC) or M/N/O (DC) are mainly encountered with special vehicles or for use abroad.
LadeGuide automatically selects the right charging type for your situation
AC at home, HPC on the go — LadeGuide calculates the optimal mix based on time, costs and the charging curve.
Mehr erfahrenSources
- Mennekes e-mobility guide: Charging point marking — what do the symbols mean?
- Carwow EV guide: What do the symbols on EV charging columns mean?
- inside-digital guide: Letters at charging columns — the mysterious hexagon symbols