Connectors tutorial
A connector is an interface between an electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure. Connectors ensure physical compatibility and electrical safety enabling energy transfer at the correct voltage and current levels. Different connector types (for example, Type 2, CCS, NACS) support varying charging speeds and standards from slow AC charging to ultra-fast DC charging. Accurate connector information is essential for interoperability, route planning, and user experience — EV drivers need to know which chargers match their vehicle’s connector type to avoid failed charging attempts. You can deliver reliable EV services and seamless integration with APIs and routing systems by modeling connector attributes (type, power, availability).
In OCPI 2, connectors act as the smallest billable and operational unit within a location, linked to Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipments (EVSEs). Each connector includes detailed attributes such as standard, format, power type, and maximum capacity, ensuring consistent interoperability across platforms enabling precise pricing and availability information.
Connector details in HERE EV Charge Points API v3 and HERE Map Content
The EVSE contains connector attributes → connectors array. For details, see HERE EV Charge Points API v3 API reference.
In HERE Map Content (HMC), connector details are available under the pooled EVSE structure. For details, see HMC EV layer schema.
A connector group collates all the connectors of the location level presenting connector type, maximum power and number of connectors.
Example of a connector group in EV Charge Points API v3.
"connectorGroups": [
{
"standard": "CHADEMO",
"maxPower": 100000,
"connectorCount": 4
},
{
"standard": "IEC_62196_T1_COMBO",
"maxPower": 100000,
"connectorCount": 2
},
{
"standard": "IEC_62196_T1_COMBO",
"maxPower": 350000,
"connectorCount": 2
}
]Filter the HERE EV Charge Points API v3 results
The HERE EV Charge Points API v3 supports filtering that allows receiving only the requested connectors for charging locations in the API request by using the connectorTypes query parameter. For details, see HERE EV Charge Points API v3 API reference.
Use the countryMetadata endpoint to view available connector types by country.
See How to get one or multiple charging locations to learn more about the HERE EV Charge Points API v3
locations. The following command uses cURL syntax, queries the EV data for the locationsids: [246udbvy497hq-aGVyZS1ldjplY29tb3ZlbWVudDoyMDEyMTg1ODgz, 246udbvy413fw-aGVyZS1ldjplY29tb3ZlbWVudDoyMDEyNDI4MTEx], and filters the data so the response includes connectors information only for typesIEC_62196_T2_COMBOandIEC_62196_T2. Adding| jqto your request formats the response with jq:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" "https://evcp.hereapi.com/v3/locations?ids=246udbvy497hq-aGVyZS1ldjplY29tb3ZlbWVudDoyMDEyMTg1ODgz,246udbvy413fw-aGVyZS1ldjplY29tb3ZlbWVudDoyMDEyNDI4MTEx&fields=address,evses&connectorTypes=IEC_62196_T2_COMBO,IEC_62196_T2" | jqThis reduces the payload size and eliminates irrelevant information, excluding locations without any EVSEs matching the requested connector types.
Filtering can be used only when querying with multiple IDs.
Differentiate between Tesla Supercharger locations in HERE EV Charge Points API v3 and HMC
To differentiate between the Tesla Supercharger locations that are usable by Tesla electric vehicles only or by Tesla NACS partners, inspect the connector types. As a basic rule:
- Connector type
SAE_J3400⇒ NACS partner compatible - Connector type
TESLA_S⇒ Tesla exclusive
If you are using the older HERE EV Charge Points API v2,
SAE_J3400is the connector ID=43 andTESLA_Sis the connector ID=68. In addition, there may be charging locations that have aSAE_J3400connector but are still Tesla exclusive. Therefore, it's important to inspect therestrictionReasoninformation as well. If therestrictionReasonisBRAND_ONLY, the location is a Tesla exclusive charger. Read more about the topic from Tesla's website: Supercharging Other EVs. If you use the older HERE EV Charge Points API v2, do not rely on the legacyaccess_typeflag for the differentiation.access_type=Restrictedand "restrictions" aren't one-to-one. HERE EV Charge Points API v3 and HMC EV Layer follow a more precise approach.
Connector types
Further information see OCPI specification.
Connector Maximum Power
Each connector lists a maximum power value in Watts. This is based on its electrical specification, including voltage, current, and number of phases. It represents the theoretical upper limit for the connector, not a guarantee of charging speed.
Actual charging power depends on
Vehicle battery capability and charging curve EVSE configuration Site-level power sharing (dynamic load balancing)
Available power may vary during a session.
Note for developers: Display maximum power as an indicative value only. Use wording such as “Up to X kW” and clarify that actual charging power may be lower due to vehicle limits, EVSE settings, and power sharing.
Updated 2 days ago