A Type 2 connector has seven contacts. Five of them handle power and safety: three phase pins (L1, L2, L3), a neutral (N) and a protective earth (PE). The last two are small signal pins — the control pilot (CP) and the proximity pilot (PP) — which carry no charging current at all. Because the layout is fixed, one plug serves both single-phase and three-phase charging — a single-phase car uses fewer power pins, and the rest sit idle.
Key Takeaways
- Type 2 has seven contacts: three phases, neutral, earth, and the CP and PP signal pins.
- Single-phase charging uses a subset of the same plug — L2 and L3 simply stay idle.
- The PP pin reports the connector seated, stops current on release, and identifies the cable’s own rating on Type 2.
- The CP pin carries the charger’s current ceiling; neither signal pin carries charging power.
The Seven Contacts at a Glance
| Contact | Name | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| L1, L2, L3 | Phase conductors | Carry the AC power: single-phase uses L1 only, three-phase all three. |
| N | Neutral | Completes the AC circuit for each phase in use. |
| PE | Protective earth | The safety connection between the charger, the cable and the car’s body earth. |
| CP | Control pilot | Carries the charger’s current advertisement — the maximum the car may draw. |
| PP | Proximity pilot | Reports the connector seated, orders the current stopped on release, and on Type 2 cables identifies the cable’s own rating. |
The comparison of Type 2 vs J1772 vs NACS connectors shows the same split in all three systems — heavy pins for power, small pins for conversation — with Type 2 carrying the fullest pin set.
Why Three Phase Pins in One Plug
Type 2 was designed for a market where three-phase supply reaches ordinary buildings, so the plug had to carry one phase or three in a single standard shell. So the car’s inlet is identical whether it ever sees three-phase power or not, and cables, sockets and wallboxes all mate with the same seven-contact pattern. A single-phase home session runs on L1, N and PE plus the two signal pins; a three-phase session wakes the remaining two phase pins. Nothing about the plug changes — only how much of it is working.
The Two Small Pins: CP and PP
The control pilot is the charger’s voice: before power flows, and for the whole session, it tells the car the ceiling on offer, and the main contacts close only once the car’s answering state checks out. If the signal breaks, the session ends first and the plug comes out dead.
The proximity pilot is the plug’s own report about itself. It tells the car a connector is fully seated, and when you press the handle’s release it orders the current stopped before the pins separate — the reason a Type 2 plug never arcs on the way out. On Type 2 cable assemblies it does one more job: a coding built into the plug identifies the cable’s own current rating, so the car can cap the session there even when the wallbox could offer more. The cable, in effect, declares its own class through the PP contact — one reason a cable’s stated rating is a specification to check when buying.
Neither signal pin carries charging power, and neither is a test point — looking is fine, probing is not a user task. The modes these pins serve are set out in Mode 2 vs Mode 3 charging.
The Pins in EVDANCE Type 2 Products
The EV-ACS3210E portable charger (32 A, Type 2, single-phase about 7 kW, IP66) works on the single-phase subset — L1, neutral, earth and the two signal pins do the work. The EV-ACT3204PE wallbox (22 kW, three-phase, tethered Type 2 cable, RFID and app, IP66) uses all seven: three phases live, and on the socket version the cable you bring supplies the PP coding the car reads. Same pins, same meanings — the products differ only in how many power contacts are ever energised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a single-phase car need a different Type 2 plug?
No. The inlet and plug are the same standard part: a single-phase car connects to the same layout and simply never energises L2 and L3, at home or at a three-phase point.
Do all seven contacts carry electricity?
Five carry power or the earth connection. CP and PP carry low-voltage signals only — they are how the equipment talks, and they are never a power path, in either direction.
Can I check the signal pins myself?
Visually, yes: report a bent, recessed or dirty small pin to the charger’s maker or your installer. Measuring or straightening pins is not a user task — the connector is a sealed, rated assembly, and damage means replacement.
Related Reading
- Type 2 vs J1772 vs NACS: EV Charger Connectors Compared
- What Is J1772? The North American EV Plug Explained
- Mode 2 vs Mode 3 Charging: What IEC 61851 Means for Portable EV Chargers
- Does J1772 Work With CCS? CCS Connectors Explained
