Control Pilot

A control pilot (CP) pin is a pin connector on charging cables for electric vehicles. They are one of five pins on a type 1 connector and one of seven pins on a type 2 connector. Control pilot pins are used in EV charging cables to negotiate current charging levels and pass information from the electric vehicle to the electric vehicle charger.

How does the control pilot work?

The control pilot works by negotiating the maximum current the electric vehicle supports through the charging cable and adjusting power delivery from the charger. The control pilot also supports sending diagnostic and error codes from the vehicle to the charger or from the charger to the vehicle. These codes typically signal issues with the charger or issues with the vehicle's batteries or software.