CAN — Controller Area Network — is the message network a car uses to talk to itself: short, labelled messages shared between its control units on common wiring. In EV charging the word turns up in two places: inside the car, where the battery system and onboard charger exchange CAN messages, and at a CHAdeMO DC fast charger, where CAN is the language the car and the charger speak. CCS chargers use a different language instead — power-line communication over the cable. When “CAN” appears on a charger spec sheet, the buying question is which of those links it describes.
Key Takeaways
- CAN is the car’s internal message network; in charging it carries the CHAdeMO car-to-charger conversation.
- CCS uses power-line communication instead — CAN in a CCS context means an internal or vehicle-side link.
- CAN never names the back-end link; that layer is OCPP, and neither is a buyer setting.
- When a spec line is ambiguous, ask the maker which link it describes, in writing.
Where the Word Appears in a Spec Sheet
| Where you read it | What it usually refers to | The question to ask the maker |
|---|---|---|
| A CHAdeMO DC charger’s communication line | The car-to-charger link: CHAdeMO runs its session conversation over CAN | Confirm the connector and standard first — CAN follows from choosing CHAdeMO |
| A vehicle-side or inlet description | The car’s internal network, which the battery system already speaks | Nothing to specify — it is part of the car, not an option |
| An internal-components or service note | Modules inside the charger exchanging messages, or the bus a service reader interrogates | Ask what a technician can read from it, and with what tooling |
| Next to a CCS model | Almost certainly an internal or vehicle-side reference — not the car-to-charger link | Ask which link the line describes before treating it as a feature |
Three Links, Three Languages
Most confusion comes from treating “communication” as one thing. A charging site actually has three separate conversations, each with its own language:
| Link | Language | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| Car to DC charger | CAN on CHAdeMO; power-line communication on CCS | The session negotiation: limits, requests, stop conditions |
| Car to AC charger | A simple pilot signal — no message network at all | The current ceiling the car may draw |
| Charger to operator platform | OCPP, over the network connection | Sessions, metering and faults — as our OCPP explainer covers |
So CAN on a datasheet never describes the charger’s back-end link, and it is not a setting a buyer configures. It also cannot be converted by hardware at the plug: an adapter changes connector shape, not the language spoken through it — the same reason connector fit and protocol family are separate checks in our connector comparison by market.
Reading EVDANCE Listings on This Point
EVDANCE listings state the communication that matters for pairing, in the layer where it matters. The EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station (up to 43 kW shared across two Type 2 connectors, RFID, IP54) states OCPP 1.6J — the platform-layer language an operator matches to their back end; its listing makes no CAN claim, because on AC the car-side conversation is the pilot signal. The JT08 NACS-to-CCS1 DC adapter (up to 500 A / 1000 V, IP66) works inside the CCS family, whose session runs over power-line communication — the adapter moves the plug, not the protocol, and it is used only where the vehicle maker approves third-party DC adapters for the exact car and the station is open to that car. If a line in any catalogue leaves you unsure which link it names, ask the maker in writing before the order, not after delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a CCS charger use CAN to talk to the car?
No. CCS runs its car-to-charger conversation over power-line communication on the cable. CAN is still at work inside the car, between its own control units — just not on the charging link.
If a spec sheet lists CAN, is the charger a CHAdeMO model?
Not necessarily. On a DC charger the line often does mean the CHAdeMO link, but the same word is used for the car’s internal network and for service access. Ask which link the line describes.
Can an adapter convert between CAN and power-line communication?
No simple adapter can. Adapters within a DC family change the connector shape only; the protocol family is fixed by the car’s and the charger’s design. Only a manufacturer-supported solution should ever bridge systems.
Related Reading
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- Does J1772 Work With CCS? CCS Connectors Explained
- Type 2 vs J1772 vs NACS: Which EV Charger Connector Does Your Market Need?
- Is the Tesla Charger NACS? NACS, J3400 and Adapters Explained
