What Is a CCS Combo Cable?

A CCS Combo cable is the tethered cable attached to a DC rapid charger at a motorway service station or public charging hub, and it uses the Combined Charging System standard to deliver high-speed direct current straight into your battery. You do not buy or carry a CCS cable yourself: it is built into the charger unit, in the same way a petrol pump nozzle stays at the forecourt. For day-to-day home and workplace charging you still need a separate Type 2 AC charging cable, which is the cable most UK EV owners carry in the boot.

What does "CCS Combo" actually mean?

CCS stands for Combined Charging System. The "Combo" part describes the physical shape of the inlet: it combines a standard AC socket (Type 2 in Europe, Type 1 in North America) with two extra DC pins added below it. This combined shape lets a single inlet on the car handle both everyday AC charging and high-speed DC rapid charging. The Combo 2 variant, which pairs with a Type 2 upper section, is the standard across the UK and Europe. Combo 1 pairs with a Type 1 upper section and is found mainly on older US-market vehicles brought over as imports. The key point is that both use the same underlying CCS protocol, just with a different AC socket shape above the DC pins.

Is CCS a cable you buy and carry?

No. CCS rapid chargers are always tethered: the cable is permanently fixed to the charger unit, and you simply plug the connector into your car's inlet. You do not purchase a CCS cable the way you buy a Type 2 cable for your wallbox. This is partly because DC rapid charging cables carry very high currents and are thick, heavy, and liquid-cooled on the fastest units, making a detachable version impractical for everyday use. When you pull up at a rapid charger, you take the cable off its hook, connect it to the car, and tap your card or app to start a session.

How is CCS different from a Type 2 cable?

The difference comes down to current type and speed. A Type 2 cable carries alternating current (AC) and is used with home wallboxes, workplace chargers, and slower public AC points. Your car's onboard charger converts that AC into DC to fill the battery, and that onboard charger limits how fast it can happen. CCS bypasses the onboard charger entirely: the rapid charger sends DC straight into the battery at much higher power levels, which is why rapid charging is so much quicker than home charging. So you need both: a charging cable for everyday AC top-ups, and access to public CCS rapid chargers for long journeys or quick boosts.

What about CHAdeMO? Is that the same thing?

CHAdeMO is a rival DC rapid charging standard, developed in Japan, and it uses a completely different connector shape from CCS. It was common on early Nissan Leafs and some Mitsubishi and Kia models. CHAdeMO rapid chargers are also tethered and carry the cable on the unit, just as CCS chargers do. However, the UK and European market has moved firmly towards CCS Combo 2 as the dominant standard, and CHAdeMO infrastructure is shrinking as older networks upgrade. If you own an older Nissan Leaf, you will still find CHAdeMO sockets at many sites, but if you are considering a new EV, CCS is almost certainly what it will use.

Which UK cars use CCS Combo 2?

The vast majority of battery electric vehicles sold new in the UK today use a CCS Combo 2 inlet as their DC rapid charging port. This includes models from Volkswagen Group (VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Porsche), BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Ford, and many others. Tesla vehicles sold from late 2022 onwards also moved to CCS in Europe. Older Teslas use a proprietary connector but can use CCS rapid chargers with an adapter. When you are buying a used EV, it is worth checking the inlet type: cars originally sold for the North American market may have Combo 1 rather than Combo 2, and older Japanese-market vehicles may have CHAdeMO.

Why do I still need a Type 2 cable if my car has CCS?

CCS is only for DC rapid charging, and those chargers are tethered. For the AC charging you do every day at home or at work, you need a separate Type 2 cable because most home wallboxes and many public AC chargers are untethered: they have a socket but no cable. You plug one end into the wallbox and the other end into your car's Type 2 AC inlet (which is the upper part of the Combo 2 socket). Without that cable, you cannot charge at home at all. It is one of the first things new EV owners need to sort out, alongside getting a wallbox installed. Some landlords and workplaces have tethered wallboxes, which removes the need to carry your own cable, but it is far more common to need one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a CCS cable to take with me?

No. CCS rapid charging cables are permanently tethered to the charger unit and are not available to purchase for personal use. They carry very high currents, are heavy, and require thermal management built into the charger. For portable charging, you need a Type 2 cable or a three-pin granny charger, not a CCS cable.

Will a CCS Combo 2 plug fit in a Type 2 socket?

No. The CCS Combo 2 connector is physically larger than a Type 2 connector because of the two additional DC pins below. The upper section of a Combo 2 plug is shaped like a Type 2, but the full CCS plug only fits a Combo 2 inlet. Your car's Type 2 AC inlet is a separate, smaller socket usually adjacent to or above the Combo 2 inlet.

Does my car need two sockets for CCS and AC charging?

Most modern EVs with CCS have a single combined Combo 2 inlet that handles both AC and DC. The upper part accepts a Type 2 AC cable; the full Combo 2 plug from a rapid charger uses both sections together. Some older or lower-spec models have two separate sockets side by side. Check your vehicle handbook to understand your car's inlet layout.

Is CCS faster than CHAdeMO?

CCS supports higher maximum power levels in its current specifications, and the UK's DC rapid charging network is investing heavily in CCS infrastructure. CHAdeMO sites are declining. In practical terms for most drivers today, the speed difference matters less than finding a working charger: always check network coverage on a route planner before a long journey.

Do all rapid chargers in the UK have a CCS cable?

The vast majority of rapid and ultra-rapid public chargers in the UK now offer at least one CCS Combo 2 cable. Many sites also retain a CHAdeMO cable alongside CCS. Very old charge points may only have CHAdeMO or Type 2 AC sockets. Networks like Gridserve, Pod Point, BP Pulse, and Osprey have been actively upgrading to CCS as their main standard.

Do I need a membership to use a CCS rapid charger?

Most major public rapid charging networks in the UK now accept contactless payment by card or device, so you do not need a membership to charge. Some networks offer memberships or subscription plans that give a lower per-kWh rate, which can be worth it if you use that network frequently. Check the charger's instructions when you arrive, as payment methods vary between operators.

Understanding what CCS does (and does not) mean for your day-to-day life as an EV driver is mostly a question of separating rapid charging from everyday AC charging. At home or at work you rely on your own Type 2 cable, while rapid charging on longer trips takes care of itself through the tethered cables at the charge point. Browse our full range of EV charging cables to find the right cable for your car and your charging setup, or visit our Guides section for more on connectors, charging speeds, and everything else EV ownership involves.