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EV charging glossary: kW, kWh and more
Electric cars have their own language. Here are the words you will come across most often.
Power and energy
kWh (kilowatt-hour): energy. How much electricity goes into the battery. This is what you pay for.
kW (kilowatt): power. How fast the car charges.
SoC (state of charge): how full the battery is, in percent.
Usable capacity: the part of the battery you can actually use. A bit less than the total.
Chargers and plugs
AC: alternating current from home chargers and street chargers, typically 11 kW.
DC: direct current from rapid chargers, 50 kW and up.
Type 2: the plug for AC charging in Europe.
CCS2: the plug for rapid charging in Europe. A Type 2 plug with two extra pins.
CHAdeMO: an older Japanese rapid-charging plug, e.g. on the Nissan Leaf before 2026.
Prices and payment
Ad hoc: you pay for a single charge without a subscription (pay-as-you-go).
Roaming: when your charging card works with another provider.
Idle fee: a per-minute charge if the car stays at the charger after charging.
AFIR: the EU regulation that, among other things, requires card payment and public prices.
Car and battery
WLTP: the official measurement of consumption and range.
Charging curve: how many kW the car accepts at each percentage.
Preconditioning: the car warms the battery before a rapid charger so it charges faster.
LFP and NMC: two battery types. LFP copes better with being charged to 100%.
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