Last updated: 25 January 2026
The Combined Charging System Type 2 (CCS 2 for short) is the DC fast charging plug and inlet standard predominantly used in electric vehicles in Europe, the Middle East, South America, Oceania, Africa and most of Asia. (Click here for the full list of all countries that use the CCS 2 charging plug.)
The Combined Charging System 2 (CCS 2) combines a Type 2 AC plug (also known as the Mennekes connector) with two high-speed DC charging pins added below. This allows a single vehicle inlet to support both AC and DC charging.
All electric cars in Europe, Oceania and most of Asia come with the full CCS 2 socket. During AC charging only the top half (the Type 2 part) of the inlet is used, leaving the lower two DC pins untouched. These pins are often covered by a rubber flap that you simply remove at the DC charging station before putting in the plug.
With the ability to provide up to 500 amps and 1000 volts DC, a CCS 2 charger can also deliver a maximum power output of 500 kW. For ultra-rapid charging, CCS 2 requires liquid-cooled cables to avoid damage caused by overheating. Inside those cables there are circulation channels containing a liquid coolant that absorbs and dissipates heat. The liquid cooling process involves a closed-loop system in which the coolant travels back and forth between the connector and the cooling unit of the charger.
Inside liquid-cooled cables, circulation channels (highlighted in blue in the image) carry a liquid coolant that absorbs and removes the heat produced by the power conductors (highlighted in red in the image). This liquid-cooling approach relies on a closed-loop system in which the coolant continuously flows between the connector and the charger’s cooling unit.
A CCS 2 inlet on a car with a Type 2 connector plugged in and the DC pins covered by a rubber flap.
The CCS 2 connector supports bidirectional charging, allowing EVs to send power back to the home, the grid, appliances or another vehicle, turning the car’s battery into a backup power source.
Unlike in North America, where Tesla uses its own proprietary charging standard (NACS), Tesla cars elsewhere in the world come with a CCS 2 charging port and the company's Supercharger stations only offer CCS 2 connectors.
