The handful of terms that matter most: Type 2 is the plug every new EV in Australia uses; a Mode 2 charger (granny charger) is a portable charger for a power point; kW is charging speed and kWh is battery size; RCM is the mark that shows a charger is legal to sell here.
- Plug: Type 2 for AC, CCS2 for DC fast charging.
- Speed: kW. A power point gives about 2.3 kW.
- Size: kWh. Most EVs have 50–100 kWh.
- Legal: look for the RCM and an EESS registration.
A to Z
27 terms, explained
- AC charging
- Charging with alternating current from the grid. The car's onboard charger converts it to DC for the battery. Portable chargers and wall chargers are AC.
- DC fast charging
- Charging with direct current from a public station that converts power itself, bypassing the onboard charger. Typically 50–350 kW.
- Type 2
- The AC charging connector (also called Mennekes) used by every EV sold new in Australia today. Seven pins, flat top edge.
- Type 1 (J1772)
- An older AC connector with five pins and a latch, used by some older EVs such as the 2012–2018 Nissan Leaf and pre-2022 Outlander PHEV.
- CCS2
- The DC fast-charging connector used by most current EVs in Australia: a Type 2 inlet with two large DC pins below it.
- CHAdeMO
- An older DC fast-charging standard used by some earlier Japanese EVs, including the Nissan Leaf.
- Mode 2
- Charging from a standard socket through a portable charger with a control and protection box in the cable.
- Mode 3
- Charging from a dedicated charger, usually a wall box, permanently wired to its own circuit.
- EVSE
- Electric vehicle supply equipment: the charger hardware between the outlet and the car. A portable charger is a portable EVSE.
- Granny charger
- Nickname for a portable Mode 2 charger that plugs into a standard power point.
- kW (kilowatt)
- A rate of power. A 10 A Australian power point supplies about 2.3 kW.
- kWh (kilowatt-hour)
- An amount of energy. Battery sizes and electricity bills are in kWh.
- Amps (A)
- Electric current. Australian power points are 10 A; heavier-duty outlets are 15 A or 20 A.
- Dedicated circuit
- A circuit that supplies only one outlet or appliance, so the EV doesn't share capacity with the fridge or heater.
- RCD
- Residual current device, or safety switch. Cuts power when current leaks to earth. Many EV chargers include one.
- RCM
- Regulatory Compliance Mark. Shows electrical equipment meets Australian requirements and is registered by an Australian responsible supplier.
- EESS
- The Electrical Equipment Safety System, the national scheme and database that registers electrical equipment and responsible suppliers.
- IP66
- An ingress protection rating: dust tight and protected against powerful water jets.
- IK10
- An impact protection rating; IK10 is the highest on the scale.
- Onboard charger
- The car's built-in AC-to-DC converter. It caps how fast the car can AC charge, typically 7–11 kW.
- State of charge (SoC)
- How full the battery is, as a percentage.
- LFP
- Lithium iron phosphate battery chemistry, common in entry-level EVs; often fine to charge to 100% regularly.
- NMC
- Nickel manganese cobalt battery chemistry, common in long-range EVs; often charged to 80–90% for daily use.
- PHEV
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle: a petrol engine plus a small battery you charge from the grid.
- BEV
- Battery electric vehicle: fully electric, no petrol engine.
- V2L
- Vehicle-to-load: using the car's battery to power appliances through an adaptor in the charging inlet.
- Off-peak
- Hours when electricity is cheaper on a time-of-use plan, usually overnight or, on solar-soak plans, the middle of the day.
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