CCS charging: how it works and why it has become a standard in Ukraine

Once upon a time, charging an electric car meant waiting for hours for the battery to slowly gain charge. Such cars were more of an experiment than a full-fledged vehicle. But times have changed. Modern electric cars have new batteries, and with them, more advanced charging methods. Along with the evolution of the cars themselves, the charging infrastructure is also changing. In Ukraine, you can see charging stations more and more often […]

Along with the evolution of cars, the charging infrastructure is also changing. In Ukraine, you can increasingly see charging stations labelled CCS – this is one of the fast charging standards that is gradually becoming the norm for new car models. Let’s take a look at what this system is and why it is so important for the development of electric vehicles in our country.

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What is CCS charging?

CCS – це скорочення from Combined Charging System, тобто “комбінована система charges”. І хоча звучить трохи технічно, насправді йдеться про дуже зручний і продуманий спосіб заряджання electric vehiclesв. The main idea CCS у тому, що один роз’єм can працювати як for звичайної (AC)and for швидкої (DC) charges. Тобто не треба мати різні cables чи порти – один інтерфейс, два способи живлення.

In Europe, including Ukraine, the CCS2 version is widespread. It is based on the Type 2 connector, which is already familiar to many drivers, but with two additional powerful contacts for fast DC charging. So if your electric vehicle supports CCS2, you can charge anywhere: at home, at a slow station near the office, or at a powerful DC station near the highway.

Currently, most of the new electric vehicles sold in Ukraine – Hyundai, Volkswagen, BMW, Skoda, Kia, Renault and others – already have a CCS2 connector. This shows that this standard is becoming the main one in our region, gradually replacing less versatile options such as CHAdeMO or AC-only connections.

Advantages of CCS over other standards

It’s worth saying right away that the main advantage of CCS is its versatility. The idea that the same port supports both slow and fast charging has really simplified the life of drivers. Now you don’t have to guess what kind of cable you have in the trunk and whether it will fit the station.

Друга важлива річ – швидкість. CCS charges in Ukraine вже дозволяють “залити” до 80% батареї менш ніж за пів години. Наприклад, DC stations потужністю 50, 100 or навіть 150 kW поступово з’являються у великих містах, біля трас, на АЗС, парковках торговельних центрів. Деякі charges підтримують навіть 350 kW, якщо ваша машина готова до такого рівня.

Ще один плюс – підтримка з боку виробників. Європейські автовиробники, and й більшість корейських брендів, роблять ставку саме на CCS. А це означає, що обираючи авто з цим роз’ємом, ви вкладаєтесь у довгострокову сумісність. Тобто не буде ситуації, коли through 3-5 років зникнуть потрібні вам charges.

How CCS works in practice

The charging process via CCS looks very simple from the user’s point of view. You drive up to the station, plug in the cable and wait. But there is a little more going on inside.

По-перше, автомобіль і station “спілкуються”. Through спеціальні контакти (їх називають CP і PP – control pilot і proximity pilot) відбувається обмін інформацією: машина “розповідає”, скільки вона can прийняти енергії, яка напруга безпечна, яка температура батареї тощо.

The station then chooses how to transfer the energy. If it’s AC charging, the current flows as usual, and the car’s built-in converter turns it into DC, which is the current that the battery needs. But if the station supports DC, it immediately transfers power directly to the battery, bypassing the converter. And that’s why charging is much faster.

Is CCS charging safe?

All CCS chargers have built-in protection systems. They monitor the temperature, voltage, current, charge level and simply cut off the power supply in case of failure. This protects both the vehicle and the charging station itself.

In addition, modern stations have a reasonable load. Let’s imagine that there are several electric cars at a petrol station at once, and they are all connected to the same “outlet”. The system distributes power so that everyone gets the maximum without overloading the network. This is especially relevant in urban areas and where electricity is expensive.

In addition, in many cases, you can track the charging process through the app: see how many kW have already been used, how much is left, how much it costs, etc. This is convenient for both the driver and those who manage the charging network.

Disadvantages that are also worth knowing about

Although CCS looks like an almost perfect option, it also has its weaknesses. And they should be taken into account.

• Plug size: It is indeed a bit bulky, especially compared to the regular Type 2. If you have a small car or are charging in an awkward place, it can be a bit inconvenient.
• The cost of charging stations: CCS chargers, especially high-power DC chargers, are expensive to install and maintain. Therefore, the cost of charging for the user can be higher. For example, at some stations, a kilowatt-hour via CCS can cost twice as much as at home via a conventional socket.
• Coating.: There are already plenty of CCS stations in big cities, but if you’re travelling to a smaller town or off the main roads, there may not be any yet. In this case, you will have to look for an alternative – or plan your route in advance.

ECOFACTOR: how we build modern infrastructure for electric vehicles in Ukraine

At ECOFACTOR, we are well aware that CCS charging is not just a type of connector. It’s about convenience, speed and confidence on the road. That’s why we not only support this standard in our equipment, but also create an ecosystem where drivers can use CCS charging simply, without any hassle.

Our company has been working with electric vehicles for over 10 years. We design and manufacture

We have also developed the ECOFACTOR EV Charging app available on

In addition to stations and software, we also have a full-fledged

А ще – ми не просто продаємо обладнання. Our операторська platform ECOFACTOR Network allows керувати мережею charging stations у бізнес-сегменті: from звітності до тарифікації. Якщо ви власник ТРЦ, готелю, ресторану or житлового комплексу – ми можемо допомогти запустити for вас повноцінний сервіс charges з підтримкою CCS.

So here’s what we propose:

Everything we create is aimed at making electric vehicles the norm, not the exception. We want charging via CCS to be a hassle-free experience that works – fast, safe and wherever you need it.

If you’re looking for a partner in the electric vehicle world who truly understands the realities of our market, you’ve already found it. At ECOFACTOR, we charge not only cars, but also shifts. 

To sum up 

CCS charging – це не просто ще один стандарт серед багатьох. Це той варіант, який стає нормою for більшості нових electric vehiclesв in Ukraine and в Європі загалом. Якщо ви купуєте or плануєте купити електрокар, велика ймовірність, що він вже має роз’єм CCS2. Це conveniently, сумісно з більшістю charging stations і allows вам заряджатися як вдома, так і в дорозі, причому досить швидко.

З іншого боку, не варто думати, що CCS – це чарівна паличка. Yes, він відкриває доступ до швидкої charges, але вона дорожча і не всюди доступна. Also. у деяких випадках can бути складно find відповідну station в регіонах, де інфраструктура тільки формується.

So, if you live in a city, have access to CCS stations, or frequently drive on highways where they are available, this is the obvious choice. And if you charge your car mostly at home or rarely travel far, you can also use AC via Type 2 if your car supports both options. But either way, CCS gives you more flexibility and future-proofing.

Frequently asked questions