Glossary
AC Charger
Alternating Current charging, common for home and Level 2 public chargers.
Amp (Ampere)
An Amp or ampere is a unit of electric current, determines how fast electricity flows.
Battery Capacity
The amount of energy an EV’s onboard battery can store, usually measured in kWh (kilowatt hours).
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
An all-electric vehicle powered solely by batteries.
Battery Management System (BMS)
Controls and monitors battery performance and safety.
Capacity Energy Matching System:
A Capacity Energy Matching system (CEMS) allows the entire building or selected circuits to be used for EV charging.
CHAdeMO
A fast-charging standard commonly used in Japan. It features a round, four-pin design and is used exclusively for fast charging, primarily with EVs from Asia.
Charging Management System (CMS)
The CMS is an EV’s onboard charging system which regulates the charging process and may reduce charging speed as the battery percentage increases.
Charging Schedule
A charging schedule for an EV allows you to pre-program the start and stop times for charging.
Charging Station
An EV Charging Station, also referred to as an EVSE or charge point, is any device that supplies power to an EV or Electric Vehicle.
Combined Charging System (CCS)
CCS stands for Combined Charging System. It comes in 2 socket types; CCS1 and CCS2.
Control Pilot
A control pilot (CP) pin is a pin connector on charging cables for electric vehicles. They are 1 of 5 pins on a type 1 connector and 1 of 7 pins on a type 2.
DC Charging
Direct Current (fast) charging, provides rapid charging at higher power levels.
Demand Tariff Management
Demand Tariff Management is a strategy for reducing your demand charge.
Drive Range
The distance an EV can travel on a full charge.
Dumb Charger
A dumb charger, (also called a non-networked or basic EV charger) is a simple electric vehicle charger that doesn't have smart features.
Dynamic Load Balancing
DLB is technology that controls energy use in real-time by distributing the load across multiple devices or sources.
Energy Management
Energy management refers to the strategies and systems used to optimise energy consumption and distribution within the EV charging infrastructure.
EV
An EV is a type of vehicle powered by an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery, which can be recharged using an external power source.
EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment)
EVSE is the technical term for any EV charging infrastructure.
Fast Charging
Any method of charging that significantly reduces charge time, typically using DC.
Fleet Charging
EV charging systems designed for commercial or shared vehicle fleets.
Grid
The electrical infrastructure that supplies power to homes, businesses, and chargers.
Ground Fault
A safety condition where electricity strays from its intended path; important for charger safety.
Home Charging
EV charging setup at a personal residence.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)
A Hybrid Electric Vehicle is a petrol vehicle that has an on-board battery charged with regenerative braking.
ICE (Internal Combustion Engine)
Internal Combustion Engine, or any engine that relies on the combustion of fuel in to produce energy.
ICEd
ICeing involves an ICE vehicle blocking an EV (Electric Vehicle) from accessing a charger usually in a public parking space.
Idle Fee
A fee charged when an EV stays connected to a charger after it’s done charging.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure in the context of EVs is the network of EV chargers and their supporting systems eg. Solar or the grid.
IP (Ingress Protection) Rating
Ingress Protection rating classifies and rates the degrees of protection provided against the elements in electronic equipment or electrical enclosures.
KvA (Kilo-volt-amperes)
KvA is a measure of apparent power within a system and are used to measure large power use especially for energy tariffs.
kW (Kilowatt)
A Kilowatt is a unit of power; indicates how fast energy is being used or delivered.
kWh (Kilowatt-hour)
A Kilowatt-hour is a measurement of energy used to rate battery capacity and charging.
Level 1 Charging
Level 1 charging refers to slow charging using a standard household outlet (120V).
Level 2 Charging
Level 2 Charging refers to faster home or public charging using 240V.
Level 3 Charging
L3 Charging is also referred to as high-powered, fast charging or DC charging. This uses 25-450kW of power, generally charging an EV within 20 minutes.
Lithium-ion Battery
Lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that stores energy trough the movement of lithium ions between electrodes.
Load Management
A technique that allows a fleet manager to adjust the power capacity available for EV charging so that an EV fleet are charged for when they are needed.
Megawatt Charging System (MCS)
Ultra-high-speed charging standard under development for heavy-duty EVs.
Mobile Charging
Mobile charging are portable chargers that allow EVs to charge without a fixed station.
MWh (Megawatt Hour)
MWh, short for Megawatt-hour, is a unit used to measure energy.
OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol)
OCPP is like a universal translator for EV charging stations – it enables communication between management systems and stations.
Off-Peak Charging
Charging an EV during hours when electricity demand and rates are lower.
Onboard Charger
The component inside an EV that converts AC from the charger to DC for the battery.
PE (Protective Earth)
PE or Protective Earth is a safety measure that ensures the EV and its charging equipment are grounded, preventing electric shocks
Peak Demand
Peak Demand refers to the period when electricity usage on the grid is at its highest.
Peak Load Forecasting
PLF is the process of running smart analytics on historical charging data from your site to predict peak loads and create an optimised charging schedule.
Peak Shaving
Peak shaving is an energy management strategy aimed at reducing electricity usage during times of high demand on the grid.
Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
A PHEV is a hybrid vehicle that includes both an electric motor with a battery and a gasoline engine.
Proximity Pilot
A proximity pilot (PP) is a pin connector on EV charging cables and is a safety mechanism to ensure the cable is properly connected before power is delivered.
Public Charging
Chargers located in public places for general EV use.
Range Anxiety
The fear of running out of battery power before reaching a charger.
Regenerative Braking
Is a system that recharges your battery when braking, recapturing the kinetic energy and converting it to electricity to recharge the car’s battery.
Single Phase
Single-phase charging for electric vehicles uses a single-wire AC power system to transfer electricity, typically delivering a maximum of 7.4 kW of power.
Smart Charging
Charging that adjusts power usage based on factors like energy cost or grid demand.
Three Phase Charging
Three-phase charging uses a three-wire AC power system, where there are three hot wires, and one neutral wire and is typically used in more commercial settings.
Type 2 Connector
A common AC charging connector in Europe.
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)
V2G technology allows EVs to send electricity back to the power grid.
Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)
Technology that allows an EV to send power back out through its charging port to power external devices like appliances.
Voltage
The electric potential difference, important for determining charging power.
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
A VPN is a secure, encrypted connection that enables safe and private internet access by creating a secure “tunnel” between a device and the internet.