EV Simplified: Types of Electric Two-Wheeler Chargers

With the current state of the auto industry transitioning to electric mobility, charging infrastructure has become an essential thing. Information about the same, too, is critical for the users to charge their electric scooters and motorcycles, and we are here to help you understand the different types better.
They are broadly categorised into two: Slow or standard charger type and Fast charger type.

Slow/Standard charger 

This type of charger uses an AC current to power up the battery packs of the EVs and takes time to fully charge the batteries. The most common type of electric two-wheeler charger type in India is the three-pin plug that can connect to any of the normal sockets offering a convenient and portable way of charging your EV batteries. It usually supports a power capacity of around 3.3kW, on a 15A socket and charging power levels up to 220 volts.
Then comes the type 1 charger which gets a five-point adapter. Type 1, too, is a slow charger using AC but supports capacity ranging from 3.7kW to 7kW. This type is very commonly used in the US and other countries, not so much in India.

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Fast Charger

The global standard type of fast charger being used in India for charging two-wheelers is the CCS (Combined Charging System) port, often known as CCS2. This type of charger allows the users to use AC as well as DC inputs and can handle upto 350kW of power supply for batteries ranging from 48-72 V. The CCS is an arrangement of two types of pins neatly set up that supports the 3-pin charging port as well as the Type-2 charging port (a 7-pin socket that can draw power from an AC or DC source) on an EV.

Ola Electric and Ather Energy use a proprietary fast charger type for their electric scooters that is not compatible with the common types of charger slots. Ola Electric and Ather Energy, although, have their own Hypercharge network and Ather Grid respectively for charging their scooters without relying on third parties. In August 2021, Ather Energy made its proprietary charging connector and Ather Grid available and open for use to other EV makers in the country.

However, Ultraviolette will use a 3-pin AC industrial smart socket with Bluetooth connectivity, which is government-mandated and is not a proprietary charging type. This type comes with, and is compatible with a portable charger as well as a standard on-board charger with a 5A electrical socket.

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In our exclusive interview with Tarun Mehta, CEO and co-founder of Ather Energy, he said that in every single parking lot, be it commercial or residential areas, Government should mandate standardised charging sockets that will bring about a massive change in the adoption of EVs.
Swappable battery tech is also witnessing an uptick in usage. The recent Union Budget aims for focusing on promoting swappable battery tech that will reduce the down time for EVs considerably.