What are the main EV charging connectors in the US?

Five matter: J1772 (Level 2 AC, almost every non-Tesla EV), CCS (DC fast, most 2018–2024 non-Teslas), NACS / Tesla (AC and DC, Teslas and most newer EVs), CHAdeMO (older DC fast, mainly the Nissan Leaf), and NEMA outlets (for charging at home with a portable cord).

Is NACS replacing CCS in the US?

NACS (standardized as SAE J3400) is becoming the dominant US standard — most automakers have committed to it for new vehicles, and adapters bridge older CCS cars to NACS chargers and vice-versa. CCS won't disappear overnight, but new builds increasingly lead with NACS.

Do I need an adapter to charge my EV?

Often no for Level 2 (J1772 is near-universal), but for DC fast charging it depends on your car's port. A Tesla uses a J1772 adapter (included) for non-Tesla Level 2 stations; many non-Teslas now use a CCS-to-NACS or NACS-to-CCS adapter to reach more fast chargers. Check your specific model.

Home / EV connector types

Connectors, in plain English

EV connector types, explained

A connector is just the plug shape where your EV meets the charger. There are only a handful in the US, and they do one of two jobs: AC charging (Level 1 and Level 2 — home and most public chargers) or DC fast charging (the highway kind). Here's each one, who uses it, and how adapters fit in.

The five you'll actually see

Connector	Job	Who uses it
J1772	AC — Level 1 & 2	Almost every non-Tesla EV
NACS (Tesla / SAE J3400)	AC and DC fast	Teslas + most newer EVs
CCS (CCS1 / J1772 Combo)	DC fast	Most non-Teslas, ~2018–2024
CHAdeMO	DC fast	Older Nissan Leaf, a few others
NEMA (14-50, 5-15…)	AC — home outlets	Any EV, via a portable cord

J1772 — the universal Level 2 plug

If you drive a non-Tesla EV, this is the plug you use most. J1772 (a five-pin connector) handles Level 1 (120V) and Level 2 (240V) AC charging, which covers virtually all home chargers and the bulk of public stations. Teslas use it too, with the small J1772 adapter that ships with the car.

NACS — Tesla's plug, now the US standard

NACS (the North American Charging Standard, formalized as SAE J3400) is the slim connector Tesla has used for years. Unlike J1772/CCS, the same port does both AC and DC fast charging. After Tesla opened it up, most major automakers committed to NACS for new vehicles, so it's increasingly what you'll find on both new cars and new fast chargers. If you drive a Tesla — or a newer EV that switched to NACS — this is your port.

CCS — the outgoing DC fast standard

CCS (in the US, "CCS1" or "J1772 Combo") adds two big DC pins below a J1772 plug — so one port handles both Level 2 AC and DC fast charging. It was the dominant non-Tesla fast-charging standard for years and is on millions of cars (roughly 2018–2024 models). It isn't going away, but new vehicles increasingly ship with NACS instead, and adapters bridge the two.

CHAdeMO — mostly legacy

CHAdeMO is an older DC fast-charging connector, now mainly seen on the Nissan Leaf and a few older models. Fewer new stations add it, so if your car uses CHAdeMO, it's worth checking coverage before a long trip.

NEMA outlets — for charging at home

NEMA isn't a car connector — it's the wall outlet your portable or installed charger plugs into. A NEMA 14-50 (the 240V "range/RV" outlet) is the common one for Level 2 home charging; a NEMA 5-15 is a standard 120V household outlet (slow Level 1). See our home EV charger buying guide for how to pick one.

Adapters: what bridges what

Tesla → J1772: included with Teslas; lets a Tesla use any J1772 Level 2 station.
CCS ↔ NACS: adapters let CCS cars use NACS fast chargers (and NACS cars use CCS stations) — handy during the transition.
CHAdeMO: bridging adapters are rare; plan around native CHAdeMO coverage.

Always confirm an adapter is approved for your specific car and the charger's power level.

Not sure which one you have?

The quickest tell is your make and model year. We break it down in NACS vs CCS: which connector does your car use? — then find what's near you on your city's charging page.

General connector information, kept plain. Station-level connector data on our city pages comes from the U.S. DOE / NREL Alternative Fuels Data Center.