04 February 2025
As the electric vehicle (EV) market continues to develop, so too must the charging infrastructure. But what are the different charge point types, and how do they work to keep EVs running? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry explains.
Each year, more and more EVs are added to Europe’s roads. As their numbers grow, the charging network needed to power their batteries must also develop. Without a large public and domestic infrastructure, these new models would grind to a halt.
As the technology continues to develop, so too must this infrastructure. In the early days of EV ownership, a slow charger may have been enough. However, today’s drivers demand more from their vehicles. Manufacturers are developing bigger batteries, and more efficient systems.
This means the infrastructure has needed to grow, both in the number of points available, and in the power they are able to deliver. There are now many different forms of charging, giving drivers more convenience. This also aids the lifespan of the vehicle and its batteries.
Growth across Europe
At the end of the first quarter of 2024, there were 818,819 public charging points available across Europe, according to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory. However, these were not spread out evenly.
The Netherlands had the highest number of publicly available charging points, with 154,219 locations for EVs to energize. This reporesents 18.8% of Europe’s total network. Germany follows with 130,828 charging points, making up 16%, and France placed third with 127,530 locations, a 15.6% share.
However, despite the strong presence of charging points in these countries, the numbers in other, smaller markets, are not as good. The top five countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, make up 66% of Europe’s EV infrastructure. The remaining 34% is split across the remaining 28 countries across the continent.
Yet Eastern European countries, while having fewer charging points, have a higher total power output. The EAFO report suggests that these countries demonstrate the effectiveness of focusing on high-power charging points. This strategy can be beneficial for regions with lower overall EV adoption but needing efficient and quick charging solutions.
Meanwhile Western European countries showcase the importance of a widespread charging network to support a larger EV fleet. This approach ensures accessibility and convenience, crucial for encouraging EV adoption.
Types of charging infrastructure
EV batteries can only store direct current (DC) energy. Therefore, any charging point that uses alternating current (AC) will provide a slower charge, as the energy needs to be converted by the vehicle.
There are four types of charger available to drivers, with slow, fast, rapid and ultra-rapid options available.
Slow chargers deliver charge rates between 3.6kW and 6kW. These are usually based around traditional domestic wall plugs with a converter. However, in recent years these types of chargers have been installed in existing street furniture, such as lamp posts or bollards. This is a quick way of providing charging locations to drivers who may be parked on the street for a significant period of time.
Fast chargers deliver 7kW or 22kW AC. This type of charger is commonly found in supermarket or retail park car parks. They are also often used as the domestic charging unit for drivers with off-street parking.
Rapid chargers provide DC energy at around 50kW, giving a faster charge time. Meanwhile, ultra-rapid chargers can provide 100 kilowatts or more DC energy. Both these charger types are usually found in car parks or service stations, owing to the high-power requirements making them difficult to install on streets.
The time taken to achieve a full charge depends on the energy being delivered, and the size of the battery, as well as the vehicle’s battery protection systems.
A fast charger may fully charge a vehicle in around four hours, while a rapid charger could take an hour, and an ultra-rapid charger as little as 30 minutes. However, the larger the battery size, the longer it will take to complete a full charge. Many EVs will also reduce the energy input once the battery hits 80% to protect its lifespan.
Plug-in options
There have been many different types of charging plugs over the years, however, efforts have been made to reduce this to just two for the majority of vehicles.
Most EVs today will come with a socket that is able to accept two types of plug, depending on the infrastructure used. This also helps to simplify charging point design, based on the leads required.
A type 2 connection is a seven-pin plug, suitable for both slow and fast chargers, as it can handle up to 22kW AC charging. It is, therefore, often used with slow and fast chargers, and is unsuitable for high-power energy delivery.
A combined charging system (CCS) plug is used for rapid and ultra-rapid chargers. It combines AC and DC charging into one plug, with an additional two pins at the base of the unit delivering the direct current.
There are also two types of charging point, untethered and tethered. Many slow and fast charging points will be untethered, with no lead built directly into the unit. This means the charging cable supplied with the EV, usually with a Type 2 plug, must be used.
A tethered point, commonly a rapid or ultra-rapid charger, will have a built-in cable, as it has to handle higher energy outputs.
