Volkswagen Group of America and Eaton have together unveiled a new single-port Combined Charging System (CCS).

The CCS meets the approved standard for charging from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and combines one-phase AC charging, three-phase AC charging, DC home charging and DC fast charging at public stations.

According to Yahoo Finance, the charger uses only a single connection, reducing the complication for customers needing to find a specific charging station for their vehicle.

Volkswagen's support for the CCS is indicative of the importance of standardizing charging and infrastructure worldwide--reducing the cost and complexity of selling electric vehicles in different markets.

"In comparison to other charging standards, CCS offers advantages because it requires only one cut out in the vehicle body, thus reducing costs and making it easier for customers to handle charging," said Dr. Volkmar Tanneberger, Head of Electrics/Electronics Development, Volkswagen AG.

Tannenberger added that CCS enables optimal data communication--and can be quickly adapted to potential smart grid concepts in the future.

The system is able to handle up to 86 kW, making it the most powerful charging system available--and suitable for future electric cars, designed to handle ever faster charging rates.

Including Volkswagen, eight automakers from the U.S. and Europe have committed to the CCS standard. Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, GM, Porsche have all adopted the standard, covering a potentially wide range of future electric vehicles.

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