EV Connector Types Explained: NACS, CCS, CHAdeMO, and J1772

One of the most confusing parts of EV ownership is the alphabet soup of plug types. The good news: in North America there are really only four connectors you need to know, and your car uses just one or two of them.

J1772 (Level 1 & Level 2 AC)

The J1772 ("J-plug") is the universal standard for AC charging in North America. Nearly every non-Tesla EV uses it for Level 1 and Level 2 charging, and Tesla vehicles can use it with a small adapter.

• Used for: home, workplace, and destination AC charging.
• Speed: up to ~19 kW.

CCS (Combined Charging System)

CCS takes the J1772 plug and adds two large DC pins below it, "combining" AC and DC charging into one port. It's been the dominant DC fast-charging standard for most non-Tesla EVs in North America.

• Used for: DC fast charging on most Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia, VW, and other EVs.
• Speed: commonly 150–350 kW.

NACS (North American Charging Standard / Tesla)

NACS is Tesla's sleek connector, now adopted as an industry standard. It handles both AC and DC charging in a single, smaller plug. Tesla's Supercharger network uses NACS, and a growing number of automakers ship cars with NACS ports or provide NACS adapters.

• Used for: Tesla vehicles and a rapidly expanding list of NACS-equipped EVs.
• Speed: up to 250 kW (Tesla Superchargers) and beyond on newer hardware.

CHAdeMO (the legacy DC standard)

CHAdeMO was an early DC fast-charging standard, most famously used by the Nissan LEAF. It's being phased out in North America, but you'll still find CHAdeMO connectors at many stations.

• Used for: older Nissan LEAF and a handful of other models.
• Status: declining; new vehicles rarely use it.

What about adapters?

Adapters bridge the gaps:

• A NACS-to-CCS or CCS-to-NACS adapter lets cars use networks built for the other standard.
• Tesla's J1772 adapter lets Teslas use standard Level 2 chargers.

The key is knowing what your car has and what it can adapt to. For a deeper look at the new standard everyone's talking about, see what NACS means for you.

The practical takeaway

When you're hunting for a charger, the connector is the first filter — a 350 kW station you can't plug into is worthless. Set your vehicle's connector once in ChargeScout and it automatically ranks compatible stations higher, so you never drive to a plug that doesn't fit.