CCS1

CCS1, short for Combined Charging System Type 1, is an electric vehicle charging inlet standard that combines the SAE J1772 Type 1 AC charging plug with two additional high‑power DC contacts. The arrangement enables both conventional AC charging through the 5‑pin J1772 interface and rapid DC charging via the two extra DC pins located below the AC contacts, all through a single inlet on the vehicle. The CCS1 standard is defined by SAE International, with development and promotion led by the CharIN association.

Technical details include that the AC portion follows SAE J1772, using control and safety signaling to negotiate charging. The DC portion provides high‑power charging when a compatible DC charger is connected and the vehicle requests it. Power levels depend on the charger and vehicle, commonly ranging from tens of kilowatts to several hundred kilowatts, with system voltage in the DC path typically in the hundreds of volts up to around 1,000 V in modern deployments. The design preserves backward compatibility for Level 2 charging via the J1772 interface while enabling fast charging through the DC pins.

In terms of deployment, CCS1 is widely used in North America and in some Asian markets and is one of the two main international fast‑charging formats alongside CCS2. It is supported by a broad roster of automakers for DC fast charging in the United States and Canada and is backed by a large network of charging points. Europe predominantly uses CCS2, with CCS1 being less common there; some vehicle models offer both AC charging via J1772 and DC charging via CCS1 to cover different regions.

CCS1 is part of the broader Combined Charging System and coexists with other DC charging standards such as CHAdeMO and the CCS2 variant used in Europe.