TOU (Time-of-Use rates)
A utility rate plan where electricity price changes by time of day. EV owners often lower charging cost by shifting charging to off-peak windows.
EV Charging Glossary
Quick definitions for the EV charging terms that show up across CalCharge guides and station pages.
NEMA outlet
A standardized 240V outlet type often used for plug-in Level 2 chargers. Common examples include NEMA 14-50.
Level 1 charging
Charging from a standard 120V household outlet. Typically slower, but can work for low daily mileage and long overnight parking.
Level 2 charging
Charging from a dedicated 240V circuit. Common for home and public AC charging and much faster than Level 1.
DC fast charging
High-power direct-current charging mainly used for quick top-ups and road trips at public stations.
NACS
North American Charging Standard connector type, now broadly adopted across multiple EV brands and charging networks.
CCS
Combined Charging System connector standard widely used for DC fast charging on many non-Tesla EV models.
J1772
Common AC charging connector used for Level 1 and Level 2 charging on many vehicles.
CHAdeMO
An older DC fast charging connector standard still present at some stations, mostly for legacy vehicles.
Hardwired charger
A charger permanently wired into a dedicated circuit rather than plugged into an outlet.