EV Charging Glossary – UK EV Charging News

Connectors and hardware

Type 2: The standard AC charging connector in the UK and Europe, used for home, workplace and destination charging. Most public AC posts have a Type 2 socket, so you bring your own cable.
CCS (Combined Charging System): The standard rapid-charging connector for almost all new EVs in the UK. It adds two large DC pins below a Type 2 inlet, so one socket on the car handles both AC and rapid DC charging.
CHAdeMO: An older rapid-charging connector, mainly used by the original Nissan Leaf and some older Japanese models. Fewer new chargers include it.
Tethered and untethered: A tethered charger has its cable permanently attached. An untethered (socketed) charger needs you to plug in your own cable. Rapid chargers are always tethered.
Charge point, charger and connector: A charge point is one charging unit. It may have more than one connector, but often can only charge one or two cars at once. News stories may count units, connectors or bays, so figures aren't always comparable.
Bay: A parking space with access to a charger. Hub announcements usually count bays.
Onboard charger: The part of the car that converts AC from the grid into DC for the battery. Its rating (often 7.4kW, 11kW or 22kW) caps how fast the car can charge from any AC charger.
Cross-pavement solution: A channel or cover set into the pavement that lets a cable run safely from a home to a car parked on the street. See our on-street charging news.

kW (kilowatt): A measure of power: how fast energy flows. A charger's kW rating is its maximum speed.
kWh (kilowatt-hour): A measure of energy: how much has been delivered. Battery sizes and charging prices are in kWh. A 7kW charger running for one hour delivers about 7kWh.
AC and DC: Homes and the grid supply alternating current (AC). Batteries store direct current (DC). AC chargers rely on the car's onboard charger to convert it. DC (rapid) chargers convert it inside the charger, which allows much higher power.
Slow, fast, rapid and ultra-rapid: Common UK speed bands. Slow is up to about 7kW, fast is roughly 7–22kW AC, rapid is about 50kW DC and ultra-rapid is 150kW and above. Operators and data sources draw the lines slightly differently.
Charging curve: How a car's charging speed changes as the battery fills. Speed is usually highest at low charge and drops sharply above about 80%. Try it in our charging calculator.
State of charge (SoC): How full the battery is, as a percentage.
Pre-conditioning: Warming or cooling the battery before charging so it can accept higher power. Many cars do this automatically when you navigate to a rapid charger.
Usable capacity: The part of the battery the car lets you use. It is slightly smaller than the gross capacity some manufacturers quote.
Power sharing: When two or more cars on one charger or site split the available power, so each charges more slowly than the headline rating.

CPO (charge point operator): The company that runs a charging network, such as InstaVolt, Ionity or BP Pulse. See our network pages.
eMSP (e-mobility service provider): A company that gives drivers access to chargers through an app or card, often across several networks. Some CPOs are also eMSPs.
Roaming: Using one app or card to pay on networks you don't have an account with. The Public Charge Point Regulations require operators to offer it through at least one third-party provider.
RFID card: A contactless card or fob that identifies your charging account. Less necessary now that rapid chargers must take bank cards.
Plug and Charge: A feature that starts and bills a session automatically when you plug in, with no app or card. It needs support from both the car and the network.
Overstay or idle fee: A charge for staying plugged in after charging has finished, to keep bays free.
Ad hoc charging: Paying per session without a subscription or account, usually by contactless card.
Charging hub: A site with several rapid or ultra-rapid chargers, often with facilities. See rapid charging hubs.
Destination charging: Slower charging where you'd park for a while anyway, such as hotels, supermarkets or car parks.

Smart charging: Charging that is timed or varied automatically, for example to use cheap off-peak electricity or to ease demand on the grid. Home chargers sold in Great Britain must have smart functions.
V2G (vehicle-to-grid): Sending power from a car's battery back to the grid, for example at peak times. V2H (vehicle-to-home) and V2L (vehicle-to-load) send power to a house or to appliances.
DNO (distribution network operator): The company that owns and runs the local electricity network in an area. New charging sites usually need a DNO connection, which can be slow and costly.
Grid connection: The link between a site and the electricity network. Connection cost and waiting time are among the biggest barriers to new rapid hubs.
Load management: Software that shares the available power between chargers, or between a charger and the rest of a building, so the supply isn't overloaded.
Battery storage: A stationary battery on site that tops up slowly from the grid and boosts chargers when needed, where the grid connection is too small.
OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol): An open standard for how chargers talk to the software that runs them. It lets an operator switch back-office software without replacing hardware.
Uptime and reliability: The share of time a charger is working. The regulations require each operator's rapid chargers to average at least 99%.

OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles): The government team that runs UK EV policy and charging grants, working across the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Public Charge Point Regulations 2023: The rules for public charging: contactless payment, clear pricing, reliability, a 24-hour helpline, roaming and open data. See your rights.
OPSS (Office for Product Safety and Standards): The regulator that enforces the Public Charge Point Regulations.
ZEV mandate: The Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which requires manufacturers to make a rising share of their new car and van sales zero-emission each year. Follow the ZEV mandate topic.
LEVI (Local EV Infrastructure) fund: Government funding for councils in England to deliver local, mainly on-street, charging. See our councils news.
Rapid Charging Fund: A government fund to help pay for grid upgrades for rapid charging at motorway and major A-road service areas.
Strategic road network: England's motorways and major A roads, managed by National Highways. See our motorway and forecourt news.
eVED (Electric Vehicle Excise Duty): A planned pay-per-mile charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, due from April 2028. See the FAQ.
ChargeUK: The trade association for UK charge point operators and manufacturers.

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