C in a hexagon: Type 2 AC charging
AC charging through the Type 2 configuration, up to 480 V RMS: either a Type 2 vehicle connector and vehicle inlet, or a Type 2 plug and socket-outlet.
What to do
If your car's inlet shows C and the charging point shows C, the AC connection matches. On a socket-outlet (black C on white) you plug in your own cable; on a tethered cable (white C on black) the connector goes straight into the car.
- What it looks like
- A capital C inside a horizontal hexagon: white or silver on black on the vehicle side, black on white on a socket-outlet or plug.
- Where you find it
- By a Type 2 charging inlet on a vehicle; on a Type 2 cable's connector or plug; next to a Type 2 socket-outlet on a charging station; in the owner's manual.
- 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
- The annex table gives C twice: Type 2 vehicle connector and vehicle inlet up to 480 V RMS, and Type 2 plug and socket-outlet up to 480 V RMS.
- That is why C is the one letter you may see in both colour schemes: white or silver on black for the vehicle connector and inlet, black on white for the plug and socket-outlet.
- A charging station with several charging points labels each one according to its voltage range.
What it does not mean
C does not mean DC fast charging; the DC letters are K to O. Nor does it state the charging power in kW.
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 2, vehicle connector and vehicle inlet, and plug and socket-outlet, up to 480 V RMS: identifier C 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) — Does each charging point need a label? and Annex: each charging point is labelled according to its voltage range; Type 2 up to 480 V RMS is C Checked 2026-09-29.