B in a hexagon: Type 1 AC charging
AC charging through a Type 1 vehicle connector and vehicle inlet, up to 250 V RMS.
What to do
Match the letter: if the hexagon by your car's charging inlet shows B, look for B at the charging point or on the cable you use.
- What it looks like
- A capital B inside a horizontal hexagon, in white or silver on a black background.
- Where you find it
- By the charging inlet of a vehicle that has a Type 1 inlet; on the vehicle connector of a charging cable; in the owner's manual or electronic handbook; on a charging station next to where a Type 1 connector cable is stored.
- Kind
- electric-vehicle charging identifier
- Set by
- EN 17186:2019, identifiers for the electrical interface (a hexagon), required by Directive 2014/94/EU Article 7; letter as given in the annex table of the ACEA/ChargeUp Europe/CharIN/Eurelectric guides
Can my car charge from it?
“Consumers will only need to match the label of their vehicle with the corresponding label on the charging station.”
“The European legislation requires the labels only for the new vehicles placed on the market for the first time or registered as of 20 March 2021.”
Check your vehicle's manual or the label inside the filler flap (on an electric car, the label by the charging inlet). We do not say which makes or models take this connector.
Official guidance:
In detail
- In the annex table: configuration Type 1, vehicle connector and vehicle inlet, voltage range up to 250 V RMS, identifier B.
- B is shown only in the vehicle-side colours (white or silver letter on black), because the table gives it for the vehicle connector and inlet, not for a plug or socket-outlet.
What it does not mean
B in a hexagon has nothing to do with the diesel B7 square: the hexagon is for charging, the square is for diesel.
Labels that go with it
Sources
Each document was fetched and read on the date shown; the clause or section is the one that sets or explains this label.
- ACEA, ACEM, ChargeUp Europe, CharIN and Eurelectric: Labelling for Electrically Rechargeable Road Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure: information for consumers (PDF) — Annex, Identifiers for AC charging: Type 1, vehicle connector and vehicle inlet, up to 250 V RMS: identifier B Checked 2026-09-29.
- ACEA, ACEM, ChargeUp Europe, CharIN and Eurelectric: Labelling for Electrically Rechargeable Road Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure: information for charge point operators (PDF) — What do the labels look like? and Annex: a regular horizontal hexagon, at least 30 mm wide; white/silver symbol on black for the vehicle connector and inlet; Type 1 up to 250 V RMS is B Checked 2026-09-29.