AFIR

A quick reference for common EV charging terms used in hardware selection, site engineering, compliance, and backend operations. Each entry is a one-line meaning. Terms are sorted alphabetically, with the related topic shown in parentheses. Only letters that appear in this glossary are listed below. To find a specific term fast, use Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac).   A–Z Index (scan-only) A: AFIR C: Cable sizing / voltage drop; CAN bus; CCS1; CCS2; CDR / Session record; CE / UKCA; CHAdeMO; Contactor / Relay; Current transformer (CT) D: DCFC; Dedicated circuit; Derating curve; DIN SPEC 70121; Dynamic Load Management (DLM) E: Earthing / Grounding; Eichrecht / PTB-A; Emergency stop (E-stop); Ethernet / 4G/5G; EVSE controller (CSU) G: GB/T AC; GB/T DC; GFCI H: Harmonics / THD; HMI; HomePlug Green PHY (PLC); HPC / Ultra-rapid I: IEC 62196-2 Type 2; IK rating (IK08/IK10); Inlet / Coupler; Interlock; IP rating (IP54/IP65/IP66); IPxxK; ISO 15118-2; ISO 15118-20; Isolation monitoring (IMD) L: Level 1; Level 2; Liquid-cooled cable M: MCS; MID meter; Mode 1; Mode 2 (IC-CPD); Mode 3; Mode 4; MQTT / HTTP(S) N: NACS / J3400 O: OCPI; OCPP 1.6J; OCPP 2.0.1; OICP; Operating temperature; OTA update; Overcurrent protection (MCB) P: Pattern approval; PEN fault detection; Phase balancing; PKI / V2G PKI; Plug & Charge (PnC); PME (UK) Q: QR/app start R: RCM 6 mA; RED / EMC / LVD; RF module; RFID / NFC; Roaming; RS-485 / UART S: SAE J1772 (Type 1); SAE J2954; Salt spray; Secure boot / TPM; Shunt resistor; Strain relief / Backshell; Surge protection (SPD) T: Tariff / TOU; Temperature sensor (NTC/PTC); TLS / Certificates; Type A RCD; Type B RCD U: UL / cUL; Uptime / Availability; UV resistance V: V2G / BPT; V2H; V2L     A AFIR (Metering & compliance)     EU regulation setting deployment, uptime, and payment requirements for public EV charging.     Notes: Focus on TEN-T corridors.     C Cable sizing / voltage drop (Installation & grid)     Selecting conductor size to keep voltage drop within limits.     Notes: Long runs need larger gauge.   CAN bus (Communication & protocols)     Vehicle network standard sometimes used for DC charging handshake.     Notes: Legacy controller communications.   CCS1 (Connectors & standards)     DC fast charge interface in North America (Type 1 AC + DC pins).     Notes: Also called SAE Combo 1.   CCS2 (Connectors & standards)     DC fast charge interface in Europe (Type 2 AC + DC pins).     Notes: Also called Combo 2. See also: Workersbee CCS2 DC charging connectors.   CDR / Session record (Smart/UX/Operations)     Charge Detail Record used for billing and audit.     Notes: Shared via OCPI and OCPP.   CE / UKCA (Metering & compliance)     Regulatory conformity marking for EU and UK markets.     Notes: Based on LVD, EMC, and RED directives.   CHAdeMO (Connectors & standards)     Legacy DC charging standard from Japan.     Notes: Early V2H support.   Contactor / Relay (Hardware components)     Switching devices that turn charging power on or off under control.     Notes: AC and DC variants.   Current transformer (CT) (Hardware components)     Current measurement device for protection or metering.     Notes: Alternative to shunt sensing.     D DCFC (Charging modes & power levels)     Generic term for DC fast charging (about 50–150 kW+).     Notes: Also called rapid charging.   Dedicated circuit (Installation & grid)     An EVSE-only breaker and wiring run.     Notes: Avoids nuisance trips.   Derating curve (Charging modes & power levels)     Output current or power reduced versus temperature to protect hardware.     Notes: Driven by cable and connector limits.   DIN SPEC 70121 (Communication & protocols)     Early CCS DC communication specification between EV and charger.     Notes: Still used by many vehicles.   Dynamic Load Management (DLM) (Installation & grid)     Adjusts current across chargers to stay within a site power cap.     Notes: Also called load balancing.     E Earthing / Grounding (Installation & grid)     TN, TT, or IT earthing arrangements that ensure shock protection.     Notes: Impacts safety detection methods.   Eichrecht / PTB-A (Metering & compliance)     German calibration law for public charging billing.     Notes: Requires signed metering data.   Emergency stop (E-stop) (Electrical safety & protection)     Immediate stop that de-energizes the system for safety.     Notes: Common on DC cabinets.   Ethernet / 4G/5G (Communication & protocols)     Backhaul links from charger to CSMS or cloud.     Notes: WAN connectivity options.   EVSE controller (CSU) (Hardware components)     Main control board that manages switching, communications, and HMI.     Notes: The charger’s control core.     G GB/T AC (Connectors & standards)     Chinese national standard AC charging connector.     Notes: GB/T 20234.2.   GB/T DC (Connectors & standards)     Chinese national standard DC fast-charging connector.     Notes: GB/T 20234.3.   GFCI (Electrical safety & protection)     US term for ground-fault leakage protection.     Notes: Referenced in NEC 625.     H Harmonics / THD (Installation & grid)     Power-quality distortion caused by rectifiers and inverters.     Notes: Managed with filters and standards.   HMI (Hardware components)     Display, LEDs, or buttons for user interaction.     Notes: User interface panel.   HomePlug Green PHY (PLC) (Communication & protocols)     Physical layer carrying ISO 15118 data over power lines.     Notes: Used in CCS systems.   HPC / Ultra-rapid (Charging modes & power levels)     High-power DC charging at 150 kW and above, often up to 350 kW.     Notes: Liquid cooling is common.     I IEC 62196-2 Type 2 (Connectors & standards)     AC connector used in Europe and many other regions.     Notes: 7-pin AC interface.   IK rating (IK08/IK10) (Env & mechanical)     Mechanical impact resistance rating for enclosures.     Notes: Defined in EN 62262.   Inlet / Coupler (Connectors & standards)     Vehicle inlet and the handheld plug assembly.     Notes: Vehicle-side vs cable-side parts.   Interlock (Electrical safety & protection)     Safety interlock between connector engagement and power switching.     Notes: Prevents arcing under load.   IP rating (IP54/IP65/IP66) (Env & mechanical)     Ingress protection against dust and water.     Notes: Defined in EN 60529.   IPxxK (Env & mechanical)     High-pressure water-jet protection rating.     Notes: Defined in ISO 20653.   ISO 15118-2 (Communication & protocols)     High-level EV-charger communication enabling Plug & Charge.     Notes: Runs over PLC.   ISO 15118-20 (Communication & protocols)     Next-gen standard adding bidirectional power transfer and advanced smart charging.     Notes: Includes V2G features.    Isolation monitoring (IMD) (Electrical safety & protection)     Monitors insulation resistance in DC systems.     Notes: Defined in IEC 61557-8.     L Level 1 (Charging modes & power levels)     120 V AC charging up to about 1.9 kW.     Notes: Slow home charging in North America.   Level 2 (Charging modes & power levels)     208–240 V AC charging up to about 19.2 kW.     Notes: Standard home and workplace level.   Liquid-cooled cable (Hardware components)     DC cable with coolant channels for higher continuous current.     Notes: Used for HPC and MCS.     M MCS (Connectors & standards)     Megawatt Charging System standard for heavy-duty EV charging above 1 MW.     Notes: Targeted at trucks and buses.   MID meter (Metering & compliance)     EU MID-compliant meter approved for billing.     Notes: Legal metrology requirement.   Mode 1 (Charging modes & power levels)     AC charging from a socket with no EVSE control.     Notes: Generally not recommended.   Mode 2 (IC-CPD) (Charging modes & power levels)     AC charging with an in-cable control and protection device.     Notes: Portable charging mode.   Mode 3 (Charging modes & power levels)     AC charging via a dedicated EVSE with control pilot.     Notes: Typical wallbox or public AC.   Mode 4 (Charging modes & power levels)     DC charging with off-board rectification in the charger.     Notes: Used for fast charging.   MQTT / HTTP(S) (Communication & protocols)     Common telemetry and API protocols used by chargers.     Notes: Typical IoT backends.     N NACS / J3400 (Connectors & standards)     North American Charging Standard formalized as SAE J3400.     Notes: Supports both AC and DC charging.     O OCPI (Communication & protocols)     Roaming protocol between CPOs and eMSPs.     Notes: Handles tariffs, tokens, and CDRs.   OCPP 1.6J (Communication & protocols)     WebSocket/JSON protocol between charger and CSMS.     Notes: Widely deployed version.   OCPP 2.0.1 (Communication & protocols)     Newer OCPP adding device model, security, and richer smart charging.     Notes: Modern feature set.   OICP (Communication & protocols)     Hubject roaming protocol for inter-network charging.     Notes: eRoaming integration.   Operating temperature (Env & mechanical)     Ambient range where the charger operates safely.     Notes: Often specified as a class like −30 to +50°C.   OTA update (Communication & protocols)     Remote firmware or configuration updates.     Notes: Enables ongoing maintenance.   Overcurrent protection (MCB) (Electrical safety & protection)     Protection against overload and short circuits.     Notes: Breaker curve selection matters.     P Pattern approval (Metering & compliance)     Legal metrology approval process for revenue metering.     Notes: Required in many regions.   PEN fault detection (Electrical safety & protection)     Detects loss of Protective Earth and Neutral in TN-C-S systems.     Notes: UK PME rule.   Phase balancing (Installation & grid)     Distributes load across three phases to reduce imbalance.     Notes: Helps power quality.   PKI / V2G PKI (Cybersecurity)     Certificate infrastructure for Plug & Charge and device trust.     Notes: Enables secure authentication.   Plug & Charge (PnC) (Communication & protocols)     Automatic authentication and billing via certificates when plugged in.     Notes: ISO 15118 feature.   PME (UK) (Installation & grid)     Protective Multiple Earthing system used in the UK.     Notes: Special EVSE requirements.   Q QR/app start (Smart/UX/Operations)     Starting a charging session via app or QR code.     Notes: Common at public sites.     R RCM 6 mA (Electrical safety & protection)     Monitors DC leakage and trips upstream Type A RCD at 6 mA or higher.     Notes: Often built into EVSE.   RED / EMC / LVD (Metering & compliance)     EU directives for radio, electromagnetic compatibility, and electrical safety.     Notes: Core basis for CE marking.   RF module (Communication & protocols)     Wireless connectivity module such as Wi-Fi, BLE, LTE, or NR.     Notes: Used for remote operations.   RFID / NFC (Smart/UX/Operations)     Card or tap authentication to start charging.     Notes: Widely used in public charging.   Roaming (Smart/UX/Operations)     Cross-network charging access through interoperability hubs.     Notes: Connects eMSPs and CPOs.   RS-485 / UART (Hardware components)     Serial links for meters and peripherals.     Notes: Modbus RTU is common.     S SAE J1772 (Type 1) (Connectors & standards)     AC connector used in North America and Japan.     Notes: 5-pin AC interface.   SAE J2954 (V2X & wireless)     Wireless charging standard for EVs.     Notes: Defines coil alignment and power classes.   Salt spray (Env & mechanical)     Corrosion resistance test method for outdoor products.     Notes: IEC 60068-2-11.   Secure boot / TPM (Cybersecurity)     Hardware-rooted firmware integrity and trust.     Notes: Blocks tampered code.   Shunt resistor (Hardware components)     DC current sensing element using voltage drop across a resistor.     Notes: High precision method.   Strain relief / Backshell (Env & mechanical)     Mechanical support at the cable-handle interface.     Notes: Extends cable life.   Surge protection (SPD) (Electrical safety & protection)     Protection against transient overvoltage events.     Notes: Type 1 and Type 2 per IEC 61643.     T Tariff / TOU (Smart/UX/Operations)     Pricing schemes including time-of-use rates and demand components.     Notes: Drives billing logic.   Temperature sensor (NTC/PTC) (Hardware components)     Measures handle or cable temperature to control derating.     Notes: Protects contacts.   TLS / Certificates (Cybersecurity)     Encrypted communication and mutual authentication.     Notes: Used by OCPP and ISO 15118.   Type A RCD (Electrical safety & protection)     Detects AC and pulsed DC leakage, commonly used for AC EV charging.     Notes: Usually paired with 6 mA DC monitoring.   Type B RCD (Electrical safety & protection)     Detects AC, pulsed DC, and smooth DC leakage, common for DC chargers.     Notes: Covers higher DC leakage.     U UL / cUL (Metering & compliance)     North American safety certification for EVSE.     Notes: Examples include UL 2594 and UL 2202.   Uptime / Availability (Smart/UX/Operations)     Percentage of time a charger is operational and usable.     Notes: Key public-site KPI.   UV resistance (Env & mechanical)     Material durability against long-term sunlight exposure.     Notes: Important for outdoor plastics.       V V2G / BPT (V2X & wireless)     Bidirectional power transfer between vehicle and grid.     Notes: Defined in ISO 15118-20.   V2H (V2X & wireless)     Vehicle powering a home through a bidirectional charger.     Notes: Backup or self-consumption use.   V2L (V2X & wireless)     Vehicle powering external loads or devices.     Notes: Portable power use.