Combined Charging System

Combined Charging System
Phasmatisnox · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Combined Charging System
Acronym	CCS
Manufacturer	Various
Introduced	2011
Connector	Type 1 Combo / Type 2 Combo
Power ac	Up to 43 kW
Power dc	Up to 350 kW (and beyond in development)
Standard	IEC 62196-3, ISO 15118

Combined Charging System The Combined Charging System is a standardized electric vehicle charging protocol and connector architecture developed to unify alternating current and direct current charging for passenger Audi AG, BMW, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, and Volkswagen Group models and to provide a common pathway for public infrastructure investment by utilities and manufacturers. It emerged from collaborations among the ACEA, CharIN, and national agencies across Germany, United States, and Japan and has been central to debates involving regulators such as the European Commission and standards bodies including the International Electrotechnical Commission.

Overview

CCS was conceived to combine AC tethered charging and high-power DC fast charging into a single inlet, offering vehicle makers like General Motors, Stellantis, Renault Group, and Hyundai Motor Company a path to interoperable public charging networks promoted by operators such as IONITY, Electrify America, Tesla, Inc. (in discussions), and BP Pulse. Early demonstrations involved OEM consortiums including Volkswagen Group and suppliers such as Siemens, Bosch, and AVL List. Policy support and pilot deployments occurred in regions governed by the European Parliament, United Kingdom, California Air Resources Board, and national ministries in France and Norway.

Technical Specifications

CCS integrates power and signaling using standards referenced to IEC 62196-3 for the physical connector and ISO 15118 for communication including Plug-and-Charge features adopted by companies like Porsche AG and start-ups such as IONITY partners. Implementations vary: Type 1 Combo (used by some General Motors and BMW North American models) references SAE J1772 AC contacts, while Type 2 Combo (widespread in Europe) builds on IEC 62196-2 mechanical form factors used by Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group. Power delivery has scaled from early 50 kW targets to ultrafast profiles supported by power electronics suppliers like ABB and Delta Electronics, enabling 150 kW, 350 kW, and experimental >500 kW systems demonstrated by Porsche AG and research partnerships with universities such as the Technical University of Munich.

Charging Modes and Connectors

CCS defines a Combo connector that pairs a base AC inlet with additional DC pins; the Type 2 Combo integrates a seven-pin Mennekes style AC interface familiar to Renault Group and Nissan Motor Corporation in Europe, while the Type 1 Combo uses the SAE J1772 layout prevalent in North American fleets from Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Charging modes leverage IEC 61851 protocols for control pilot signaling and implement ISO 15118-2 and sequel versions for higher-level functions like certificate-based Plug-and-Charge embraced by Porsche AG and trialed by networks run by EVgo and Shell Recharge Solutions. Adapters and vehicle-side implementations have been produced by tier-one suppliers such as Magna International and ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

Adoption and Industry Support

Adoption has been driven by OEM alliances like CharIN membership lists that include BMW, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Company, Stellantis, and infrastructure investors such as Ionity and Electrify America. National strategies in Germany, France, and China—the latter with local alternatives—have influenced procurement by fleets operated by Deutsche Bahn and logistics firms such as DHL. Standardization lobbying involved corporations like Siemens and ABB as well as research institutes including Fraunhofer Society and TÜV SÜD. Public funding from entities such as the European Investment Bank and regional programs in California strengthened charging corridor rollouts.

Compatibility and Interoperability

CCS compatibility requires harmonization across manufacturers such as BMW, Volkswagen Group, and Mercedes-Benz and across network operators including Electrify America and BP Pulse. Interoperability tests have been organized by CharIN and independent laboratories like TÜV Rheinland to validate conformance with IEC and ISO standards and to reconcile differences with proprietary systems from Tesla, Inc. and legacy standards by SAE International. Software stacks implementing OCPP for back-end charging management and ISO 15118 message sets for authentication are central to achieving cross-network roaming supported by aggregators such as Hubject.

Safety and Standards

Safety governance relies on electrical and communication standards enforced by IEC, ISO, and regional regulators such as the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization and bodies like Underwriters Laboratories in the United States. Thermal management, ground-fault detection, and interlock mechanisms were developed with input from suppliers like Bosch and Continental AG. Cybersecurity and secure element provisioning for Plug-and-Charge implementations have involved standards work with ENISA and collaborations with telecom providers including Deutsche Telekom for secure certificate distribution.

Future Developments and Challenges

Challenges include harmonizing CCS with competing ecosystems promoted by China Electric Vehicle System Standardization groups and proprietary approaches from Tesla, Inc. while scaling ultra-high-power chargers using silicon carbide and gallium nitride components from firms like Infineon Technologies and ON Semiconductor. Research collaborations between Technical University of Munich, Imperial College London, and corporate R&D labs aim to improve battery charging curves, reduce grid impacts coordinated with transmission operators such as TenneT, and enhance standards like ISO 15118-20. Market dynamics shaped by policy decisions from the European Commission and competition from alternative connectors will influence long-term prevalence.

Category:Electric vehicle charging