A fleet manager buying thirty electric delivery vans today will encounter connector standards in procurement conversations and when specifying depot charging hardware. Getting the hardware choice wrong means chargers that do not work with some vehicles, or depot infrastructure that becomes incompatible with the next vehicle order. This is an area where a bit of upfront clarity saves real headaches.
This article covers what J1772, CCS, and related standards mean in practice for commercial fleet procurement. We are not going to cover every variant or every market globally. We are focusing on what matters for North American commercial fleet operations today.
SAE J1772: The AC Charging Baseline
SAE J1772 is the North American standard for AC Level 1 and Level 2 charging. It defines the connector shape, pin configuration (5 pins: Line 1, Line 2, Ground, Proximity, and Control Pilot), and the communication protocol that tells the vehicle and EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) how to coordinate a charge session.
J1772 handles AC power delivery only. Level 1 uses a standard 120V outlet with an adapter, drawing up to 1.9 kW. Level 2 uses a 240V supply and delivers 3.3 to 19.2 kW depending on the EVSE rating and what the vehicle's onboard charger can accept. Most commercial delivery vans have onboard chargers rated at 7.2 kW or 11 kW, making Level 2 at those power levels the practical overnight charging solution for most depots.
Every commercially sold EV in North America accepts the J1772 connector for AC charging. It is the universal standard at this layer. When fleet procurement documents specify "Level 2 EVSE compatible with our vehicles," they mean J1772-compatible charging equipment. This is not an area of ambiguity for depot charging hardware selection.
CCS (Combined Charging System): Adding DC Fast Charging
CCS, formally SAE J1772 Combo 1 (or IEC 62196-3 Combo 2 for European markets), extends the J1772 connector with two additional DC power pins below the standard five-pin AC connector. This combination allows a single connector to support both AC Level 2 charging and DC fast charging, with the vehicle communicating via Power Line Communication (PLC) over the Control Pilot circuit using the DIN 70121 or ISO 15118 protocol stack.
DC fast charging via CCS delivers power directly to the vehicle's battery pack, bypassing the onboard AC-to-DC converter. This is why DC fast charging is faster: 60 kW, 150 kW, or higher power levels that an onboard charger could not accept as AC become practical. Commercial vans currently in fleet service typically accept 50 to 100 kW via CCS DC fast charging, allowing an 80% charge from 20% in 45 to 90 minutes depending on battery size and thermal limits.
CCS is the dominant DC fast charging standard in North America for commercial vehicles from established OEMs. Major commercial van manufacturers offering fleet EV products use CCS as the DC fast charging connector on North American models. If your fleet will ever need opportunity charging mid-route or rapid top-offs between shifts, CCS-compatible DC fast chargers are the hardware to spec.
NACS: The New Variable in North American Fleet Planning
The North American Charging Standard (NACS), originally developed by Tesla and adopted as SAE J3400 in 2023, is now relevant to commercial fleet planning because several major passenger EV OEMs have announced adoption. For commercial vehicles specifically, the transition timeline is less settled than for passenger cars.
As of 2025, the commercial van fleet market in North America is still predominantly CCS for DC fast charging. Fleet procurement for the next two to three vehicle cohorts should be planned around CCS-capable hardware unless your specific OEM explicitly specifies NACS as standard on the vehicles you are buying. Do not spec depot DC fast charger hardware based on NACS adoption announcements before confirming the actual connector on the specific vehicle model you are procuring.
The safe approach for depots being built now: install CCS-capable DC fast chargers. NACS adapters for CCS stations are becoming available, and several charger manufacturers offer dual-port equipment that handles both. If your vehicle order clearly specifies NACS-equipped vehicles, account for that in the hardware spec explicitly.
CHAdeMO: Present but Declining in Commercial Fleet Context
CHAdeMO is a DC fast charging standard developed by a Japanese industry consortium. It was the other significant DC fast charging standard in North America for several years, alongside CCS. Some older commercial EV models used CHAdeMO.
For new fleet procurement in North America today, CHAdeMO is not the relevant standard for new vehicle purchases from major commercial van OEMs. If your existing fleet includes CHAdeMO-equipped vehicles from earlier model years, those vehicles can only DC fast charge via CHAdeMO-compatible stations. For new depot infrastructure, CCS is the priority; adding CHAdeMO capability is only necessary if your fleet includes CHAdeMO vehicles that require mid-route fast charging.
OCPP and the Distinction Between Connector Standards and Network Protocol
Connector standards (J1772, CCS, NACS) define the physical and electrical interface between the charging cable and the vehicle. They are distinct from OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), which defines how the charging station communicates with a back-end software system.
A charger can be fully CCS-compliant for vehicle communication and simultaneously support OCPP 1.6 or OCPP 2.0.1 for software-controlled charge session management. Both layers matter for fleet depot operations. The connector standard determines physical vehicle compatibility. The OCPP support level determines whether charging scheduling software can send commands to start, stop, and throttle charging sessions remotely.
For fleet operators deploying charging management software, OCPP compliance on the EVSE hardware is a separate procurement criterion from connector type. We generally recommend confirming OCPP 1.6 minimum, with OCPP 2.0.1 preferred for newer installations because it adds smart charging profiles and more granular session control. Do not assume OCPP support because a charger supports CCS. Those are independent features and need to be specified separately in procurement documents.
Practical Procurement Guidance
For a fleet purchasing thirty commercial delivery vans and specifying depot charging hardware in 2025, the practical connector guidance is straightforward. Depot Level 2 overnight charging: J1772-compatible EVSE, 7.2 kW or 11 kW per port, OCPP 1.6 or 2.0.1 compliant. Depot DC fast charging capability (if needed for shift-turnaround or partial opportunity charging): CCS-capable equipment. Verify the specific connector on the vehicle models in the order before finalizing hardware specs.
We are not saying the connector landscape is fully stable. The NACS transition is happening, and the timeline for commercial vehicles is uncertain. What we are saying is that planning depot infrastructure around CCS today, with attention to the vehicle-side connector on each vehicle cohort as orders are placed, is the approach that avoids stranded hardware investment. Do not over-index on future standards speculation when procuring physical infrastructure that will be in the ground for ten years.
Connector compatibility is one piece of the depot charging picture. It interacts with power level, OCPP compliance, and your rate structure in ways that matter for the total cost and operational reliability of your depot. Getting the connector question right is table stakes; the rest of the charging infrastructure decisions are where the fleet-specific complexity lives.