The 4 EV Charging Modes You Need To Know About
Charging your electric vehicle is not complicated, but choosing the right charging mode can make quite a difference. Whether you're at home, on the go, or at a public station, understanding the various ways to charge your EV can help you optimise convenience and efficiency.
Four Charging Modes of Electric Vehicles: Quick Overview
Summary
What are EV Charging Modes?
EV charging modes are four methods of supplying power to electric cars. They vary in safety, speed, and mobility, all following European standards for safe and efficient charging. Depending on the mode, a dedicated charging cable may or may not be needed.
In this article, we will explore the four main charging modes in detail, in line with European charging standards.
Charging your EV in Mode 1 Charging
In mode 1 charging, an emergency charging cable is used for the AC power supply of the EV. You simply plug one end of the charging cable into the wall socket and the other end into the electric car.
With this type of charging, there are no protective measures that allow control and communication with the electric car. As a result, the charging interface is immediately live and offers no electrical protection. The emergency charging cable thus provides little safety for the house, electric car and person charging the electric car.
In addition, charging with the mode 1 charging is prohibited in many countries.
Charging your EV in Mode 2 Charging
Unlike mode 1 charging, mode 2 charging has means of communicating with the vehicle and provides protection against electric shocks. This ensures more safety for yourself, your home and your electric car.
In EV mode 2 charging, the charging station is not hard-wired to the building's power supply. This means that you can install the charging station yourself. It can also be easily removed from the wall mounting plate and used on the move. So if you want to take your charging station to a friend's house or on a trip, that's no problem.
The go-e Charger Gemini flex is an example of a charging mode 2 charger - it is mobile and does not need to be installed by an electrician. You simply connect the charging station to a red CEE socket and charging starts. Unlike many other charging mode 2 chargers, the go-e Charger Gemini flex can also be used as a normal wallbox mounted on the wall.
For charging mode 2, you need to use a dedicated charging cable.
Charging your EV in Mode 3 Charging
EV mode 3 charging is one of the most common charging modes for charging with alternating current (AC).
Charging in charging mode 3 works similarly to charging in mode 2, except that the wallbox is hardwired to the building's power supply. Therefore, the charging mode 3 charging station is not mobile.
Either the charging cable is connected to such a charging station or you need to bring your own charging cable.
The go-e Charger Gemini is a mode 3 charging station.
Charging your EV in Mode 4 Charging
While in modes 1 to 3 the alternating current is converted into direct current in the vehicle, in EV mode 4 charging the conversion from alternating current to direct current takes place in the charging station itself and not in the vehicle, so that the direct current is delivered directly to the vehicle.
Mode 4 charging is commonly known as direct current (DC) charging.
Mode 4 charger requires an input voltage of 480+ volts. DC charging stations are mostly located along motorways and exist only as stationary models.
No cable needs to be selected for charging mode 4, as it is always connected to the DC charging station.
