If you’re unaccustomed to charging your new EV, it can be an unnerving experience. You may be especially worried when using a new public charger or one at a friend’s home. To help you relax, here’s what you need to know about what can happen if you try to charge your EV with the wrong charger.

Differing Charger Plug Types

There are multiple types of EV charger plugs because manufacturers haven’t settled on a universal standard. So, you’re going to encounter different plug types on different chargers in your travels. The good news is that most plug types are physically different enough to prevent mistakes. In other words, you usually can’t plug the wrong charger type into your vehicle. There are a few, however, that feature varying levels of interoperability. For example, a J1772 plug and a CCS1 plug are partially compatible. And so are a Mennekes connector and a CCS2 plug.

EV Charger Communications

If you do manage to plug an inappropriate EV charger into your vehicle, don’t panic. EV chargers communicate with your vehicle upon connection. A completely incompatible charger won’t communicate with your EV, and no voltage will ever flow. If the charger and EV complete a handshake, a few things come next. One of them is that the two devices confirm compatibility. If either device disagrees, no voltage will flow.

If, for example, you plug a J1772 charger into a vehicle with a CCS1 port, the initial handshake will succeed. However, during the compatibility check, the charger will recognize that the connection supports only Level 2 AC charging. The extra pins on a CCS1 port are necessary for direct DC fast charging. The good news is that your vehicle will still charge, albeit at a lower rate than its maximum charging speed.

EV Charger Adapters

You should know that your vehicle can successfully use virtually any EV charger, assuming you have the proper adapter. EV chargers all use similar connection negotiation protocols. So, as long as the right pins on the plug reach the right pins on your EV, the devices handle the rest. You can even purchase adapter kits for your vehicle, which are available in a variety of target plug types. Doing this ensures you can charge your vehicle wherever you go. To maximize your changes of charging successfully no matter what, you can also carry a Level 1 charging cable that plugs into any standard 120-volt outlet.

Now you know that EV chargers and EVs themselves feature robust safety mechanisms to prevent damage. So, you needn’t worry about plugging the wrong charger into your EV. With the right preparations, you can always find a compatible charger. If you have concerns or require EV charger services, contact Sacry Electric in Bozeman, MT.