Automatic Connection Devices (ACD)

Future strategy not only for commercial vehicles but also for passenger cars: two technologies for automatic connection.

The automation of the EV charging process by application of Automatic Connection Devices (ACD) for automatic conductive charging is an essential part of the future strategy not only for commercial vehicles but also for passenger cars. Compatibility will be a key success factor for market introduction and market stability. Therefore the development of an ACD interface shall comply with the holistic system approach of the combined charging system (CCS).

For automatic connection two technologies are considered: underbody solutions applying a special connector and side solutions applying the conventional charging inlet.

Automatic Connection Device Underbody (ACDU)

  • All charging use-cases according to the CharIN ACD position paper, excluding HPC

  • Physical connector will be proposed by the CharIN ACD subgroup

  • Supports CharIN DC-CCS Power Class up to FC50

Automatic Connection Device Side (ACDS)

  • All charging use-cases according to the CharIN ACD position paper

  • Physical connector shall fully comply with the current CCS

  • Supports all CharIN DC-CCS Power Classes

CharIN plans to give a recommendation to standardization bodies regarding an Automatic Connection Device Underbody (ACDU) in a first step.. The idea is to create a harmonized interface for automatic conductive charging devices over different brands and power classes to create a proposal for international standardization bodies. Therefore, the ACDU subgroup defined general requirements for EVSE and EV hardware and communication topics which are summarized in the document Initiates file download"Public Request for an Automatic Underbody Connection Interface".

Currently different proposals from CharIN members are evaluated by the group.

Ricardo Michaelis

Lead Technical Groups

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