Planning for Future Electric Vehicle Growth at Airports (2024)
Chapter: Key Terms Used in this Guide
Key Terms Used in this Guide
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): EV that is powered by an electric motor and that uses a battery that is recharged using an electrical outlet or charging equipment.
Charging Pedestal: The unit that houses all equipment related to charging, such as EVSE ports, user display screen, payment system, and electronic hardware. A pedestal with two EVSE ports can charge two vehicles at the same time.
Charging Station (or station location): Site with one or more charging pedestals at the same address.
Combined Charging System (CSS): Protocol standard that adds pins to the J1772 connector to allow direct current (DC) fast charging. This connector is most commonly supported in North America.
Connector: Physical attachment at the end of the charging cable that links the EVSE port to the vehicle. Multiple connector types (e.g., J1772, CCS, CHAdeMO) can be available on a charging pedestal to serve different EV types.
Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC): Fastest charging level and EVSE type requiring a 480V/3-phase AC power connection with the DCFC equipment converting AC to DC.
Electric Vehicle (EV): Vehicle that uses electrical energy stored in batteries inside the vehicle for propulsion via an electric motor.
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE): Equipment that provides electric power to the vehicle to recharge the vehicle’s batteries. EVSE systems include electrical conductors, related equipment, software, and communications protocols that deliver energy efficiently and safely to the vehicle.
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Port: Unit that provides power to charge one vehicle at a time. The number of ports on a charging pedestal is equal to the number of vehicles that can simultaneously charge at that pedestal. The piece of infrastructure is commonly referred to as a charger.
Electric Vehicle Service Provider (EVSP): Entity responsible for operating networked or non-networked EVSE, which may include communications systems, billing, maintenance, load management, and other processes. Examples of EVSPs are ChargePoint, Electrify America, and EVgo. Also referred to as Network System Provider (NSP).
Level 1: The slowest EV charging speed and EVSE type requiring 120V 1-phase alternating current (AC) power connection via an electrical outlet.
Level 2: Moderate-speed EV charging level and EVSE type requiring 208V or 240V 1-phase AC power connection via an electrical outlet or hardwired connection.
Light-Duty Vehicle (LDV): Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of <8,500 lbs., i.e., passenger vehicles.
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles (MDHD): Vehicles with a GVWR of >8,500 lbs., i.e., box trucks, buses
Networked EVSE: EVSE ports that have communications systems that enable information to be transferred via Wi-Fi or cellular networks.
Non-networked EVSE: EVSE ports that only deliver power to a vehicle and do not have communications systems.
North American Charging Standard (NACS): Connector that was the proprietary connector for Tesla and is now standardized as the SAE J3400 EV charging system.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): EV that is powered by both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor and that has a battery that is charged via EVSE that receives power via an electrical outlet or hardwired connection.
SAE J1772: North American standard connector for plugging into EVs, established by the SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers). The standard includes physical, electrical, communication, and performance requirements. The J1772 connector is used for both Level 1 and Level 2 charging.
Use Cases: Distinct vehicle-charger combinations defined by their unique operational and charging characteristics.
