India primarily uses two EV charging connectors for four-wheelers: Type 2 for AC charging and CCS2 for DC fast charging. If you're buying an EV charger for home or looking at public charging stations, these are the only two you need to understand. The good news is they're designed to work together — every car with a CCS2 port also accepts a Type 2 plug for AC charging. Here's how it all fits together.
Type 2: The Standard AC Charging Connector
Type 2 (also known as Mennekes, after the German company that designed it) is the standard connector for AC charging in India. When you buy a home charger — whether it's a 3.6 kW portable unit or a 22 kW wall-mounted charger — it comes with a Type 2 plug. Every modern electric car sold in India accepts this connector.
The Type 2 connector has a circular shape with a flat top edge, making it easy to orient. It has seven pins that handle single-phase and three-phase AC power, along with communication between the charger and the car. It supports charging speeds from 3.6 kW all the way up to 22 kW on AC, depending on the charger's power output and your car's onboard charger rating.
For home charging, Type 2 is what you'll use every day. Whether you're charging an MG Windsor at 7.2 kW overnight or topping up a Citroen eC3 at 3.3 kW from a portable charger, the connector is the same Type 2 plug. All ZEVpoint AC chargers — from the portable Aveo Plus to wall-mounted units — use the Type 2 connector.
CCS2: The DC Fast Charging Connector
CCS2 (Combined Charging System 2) is the standard for DC fast charging in India. When you pull up to a public fast charger at a highway station or commercial charging hub and see the large, heavy charging gun — that's a CCS2 connector.
Here's the clever part of CCS2's design: it combines the Type 2 AC connector on top with two additional large DC pins at the bottom. So the CCS2 port on your car is essentially a Type 2 port with extra DC capability built in. When you plug in a Type 2 AC charger at home, it connects to the upper portion of the CCS2 inlet. When you plug in a CCS2 DC fast charger at a public station, it uses the full port — AC pins for communication and DC pins for high-power charging.
This backward compatibility is the reason you never need to worry about "will my home charger fit?" If your car has a CCS2 port (which every modern Indian EV does), it accepts both Type 2 AC and CCS2 DC connectors through the same inlet. One port, two types of charging. For a deeper explanation of how AC vs DC charging works, check our detailed guide.
CCS2 supports DC fast charging from 50 kW to 350 kW, depending on the station and the car. In India, most public DC fast chargers operate at 30-60 kW for mass-market EVs (Tata Nexon, MG Windsor, XUV400), while premium stations offer 120-150 kW for cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and BMW iX that can accept higher speeds.
GB/T: The Legacy Connector You'll Still See Around
GB/T is China's national charging standard. It entered India in the early days of EV adoption through Chinese-designed vehicles and through India's first government charging scheme. The Bharat DC-001 standard (introduced under FAME I around 2017) was based on GB/T, and many of the early public chargers installed by state electricity boards use this connector.
Here's the problem: GB/T is not compatible with CCS2. A charger with a GB/T gun cannot plug into a modern Tata Nexon, MG Windsor, or Mahindra BE 6 — and a CCS2 gun won't fit a GB/T vehicle. They're completely different connector shapes and communication protocols.
Today, GB/T in India is mostly limited to electric buses (many BYD and Olectra bus fleets use GB/T) and some very early fleet vehicles like the Mahindra e-Verito and Tata Tigor EV fleet models from 2018-2019. If you're buying a passenger EV in 2026, GB/T is not relevant to you — your car uses CCS2/Type 2.
The reason this matters is that you might still encounter older public chargers (especially at government buildings, BSNL offices, or early EESL installations) that only have GB/T or Bharat DC-001 connectors. These won't work with your car. Always check whether a public charger has a CCS2 gun before driving to it — apps like Google Maps, PlugShare, and ZEVpoint show connector types at listed stations.
Bharat AC-001 and Bharat DC-001: India's Early Standards
These were India's first attempt at creating national EV charging standards, introduced around 2017 under the FAME I scheme.
Bharat AC-001 uses an industrial-style IEC 60309 plug (the blue industrial socket you see at construction sites) for slow AC charging at up to 3.3 kW. It was designed for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and small EVs. You won't encounter this on any modern passenger car.
Bharat DC-001 is essentially a modified GB/T connector delivering up to 15 kW DC. It was used for early fleet vehicles and some public chargers. As mentioned above, it's incompatible with the CCS2 port on modern EVs.
Both Bharat standards are legacy at this point. The industry has firmly moved to Type 2 (AC) and CCS2 (DC) for four-wheelers. If you see a public charger that only has Bharat DC-001 or Bharat AC-001, it's an older installation that won't serve your modern EV.
What About Two-Wheeler Connectors?
If you also own an electric scooter, the connector landscape is different. India has introduced LECCS (Light Electric Combined Charging Standard) with two new connector types:
Type 6 is a DC fast-charging connector for light EVs, supporting up to about 12 kW. Ola Electric, Tork, Ultraviolette, and Simple Energy have adopted it on their two-wheelers.
Type 7 (also called the Ather connector) is a combined AC/DC connector supporting AC charging up to about 7.7 kW and DC up to 12 kW through one port. Ather Energy and Hero Vida use this standard.
These are separate from the Type 2/CCS2 standards used by cars and aren't interchangeable. This article focuses on four-wheeler connectors, but it's worth knowing that your electric scooter uses a different system entirely.
What This Means for Buying a Home Charger
For home charging, the connector question is simple: you need a Type 2 charger. Every AC home charger in India — 3.6 kW, 7 kW, 11 kW, or 22 kW — uses a Type 2 connector. Every modern EV sold in India accepts it. There's no compatibility worry here.
You don't need to think about CCS2 for home use. DC fast chargers (which use CCS2) are large, expensive commercial units that require high-power electrical connections — they're not practical or necessary for home installation. CCS2 is what you'll use at public fast charging stations during road trips or when you need a quick top-up outside your home.
When shopping for a home charger, the things that actually matter are the power rating (3.6 kW, 7 kW, 11 kW, or 22 kW — matched to your car's onboard charger), your home's electrical supply (single phase or three phase), and smart features like app control and scheduling. The connector is standard across all of them. For a deeper dive into picking the right power rating, read our 7kW vs 11kW vs 22kW guide. You can also start with a 15A socket and portable charger if you want to try before upgrading.
Quick Reference: India's EV Connector Standards
| Connector | Type | Power Range | Used For | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 2 (Mennekes) | AC | 3.6 – 22 kW | Home charging, public AC, all modern cars | Active standard |
| CCS2 | DC | 50 – 350 kW | Public fast charging, highway stations | Active standard |
| GB/T | AC/DC | Up to 60 kW (DC) | Electric buses, legacy fleet vehicles | Legacy (being phased out for cars) |
| Bharat DC-001 | DC | Up to 15 kW | Early public chargers, old fleet EVs | Legacy (incompatible with new cars) |
| Bharat AC-001 | AC | Up to 3.3 kW | 2W, 3W, early small EVs | Legacy |
| Type 6 (LECCS) | DC | Up to 12 kW | Electric 2-wheelers (Ola, Tork, Ultraviolette) | Active (2W only) |
| Type 7 (LECCS) | AC/DC | Up to 12 kW | Electric 2-wheelers (Ather, Hero Vida) | Active (2W only) |
The Bottom Line
For anyone buying or charging a four-wheeler EV in India in 2026, the connector picture is straightforward: Type 2 for AC (home and slow public charging) and CCS2 for DC (fast public charging). Your car's CCS2 port accepts both, so you're covered everywhere. GB/T and Bharat standards are legacy — you might see them on older public chargers, but they won't work with your car.
When buying a home charger, don't worry about the connector — every Type 2 charger works with every modern Indian EV. Focus on matching the power rating to your car and your home's electrical supply. Browse ZEVpoint chargers to find the right fit. For a complete walkthrough on setting up home charging, read our home charging guide, and for a detailed look at what charging costs, see our EV charging cost breakdown.
