...SAE hopes J1772 becomes the main global standard for all types of charging. Kissel said that some European OEMs are incorporating the J1772 specifications into their EV designs because the standard is well established. He noted that J1772 is a good solution for Europe because there is no other established standard there and because there are no “completed production tools” for the proposed IEC connectors, “where with the SAE standard, you can actually go out and buy the [Level 1 and 2] connector and plug-in receptacle today.” But it’s not clear that J1772 will win out. Richard Lowenthal, CEO of charging station maker Coulomb, said his company’s biggest client is the city of Amsterdam, whose 120 stations will be equipped with something other than a J1772 connector. “In the U.S., everyone pretty much wants J1772. The story is over,” he said. “In Europe, not so much.”
However things pan out in Europe, at least the J1772 physical interfaces and communication protocols will be the same between the SAE and IEC plugs, said Kissel. The main difference would be in the plastic housing.
Kissel noted that Europe hopes to move from the three couplers in the current draft standard to a single one by 2017.