Charging guide - Industry Contact / CEE
Industrial plugs and sockets (IEC 60309) is often abbreviated CEE and is an international standard from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for "plugs, outlets/sockets and connectors for industrial purposes". Many also call them rundstift in Norway.
Such plugs and connectors can be found e.g. around industrial buildings, marinas, campsites, car parks and these are now more often used for charging electric cars and plug-in hybrids as these have been developed to withstand a higher load over time.
The earth conductor, which is also the largest conductor on the plug, is placed in different clock positions according to nominal voltage, frequency and standard. This is done to prevent incorrect use as there are different sizes of conductors, as well as different dimensions of plugs and connectors. Thus, a 32A plug will not fit into a 16A socket on the wall as the picture below illustrates.
The table shows the most common industrial connectors and plugs used for charging electric vehicles today.
| Desgination | Ground Position (h) | Color Code | Amperage (A) | Voltage (V) | Phases (r) | Number of Poles |
Dimensions (W x H) |
| 216-6 | 6 | Blue | 16 | 230 | 1 | 3/2P+E | 47 x 118 mm |
| 232-6 | 6 | Blue | 32 | 230 | 1 | 3/2P+E | 63 x 146 mm |
| 316-9 | 9 | Blue | 16 | 230 | 3 | 4/3P+E | 53 x 124 mm |
| 332-9 | 9 | Blue | 32 | 230 | 3 | 4/3P+E | 63 x 146 mm |
| 416-6 | 6 | Red | 16 | 230/400 | 3 | 5/3PN+E | 61 x 131 mm |
| 432-6 | 6 | Red | 32 | 230/400 | 3 | 5/3PN+E | 70 x 152 mm |
The designations for the various connectors and plugs are unique for ease of use and are read as indicated below. A 216-6 plug is often colloquially called a 16A/1-phase 3-pin Blue CEE, industrial plug or round pin.
The actual position of the earth conductor is determined by looking at the connector from the front with the keyway down. The earth conductor is placed at one of the positions in a 12-hour dial. To find the operating voltage of the connector/plug, identify the color and the position of the earth conductor in relation to the dial. For example, we see that a 400V industrial plug is red and has the earth conductor at 6 o'clock (6h) as the picture below shows.
Blue Industry Contacts and Plugs - 230V IT
In Norway, you mainly have access to "two" types of IT network, namely 230V 1-phase and 3-phase. This means that we get a total of 4 different contacts that are used when charging vehicles.
1) 216-6 = 16A / 230V / 1-phase blue CEE plug / contact
2) 232-6 = 32A / 230V / 1-phase blue CEE plug / contact
3) 316-9 = 16A / 230V / 3-phase blue CEE plug / contact
4) 332-9 = 32A / 230V / 3-phase blue CEE plug / contact
Although the theoretical charging power (kW) when connected to 230V/3-phase is higher, unfortunately few cars support this. The reason is that the charging standard is mainly developed for either 230V/1-phase or 400V/3-phase, and thus 230V/3-phase falls between two chairs for many car manufacturers.
Red Industry Contacts and Plugs - 400V TN
Red industrial plugs have a rated current of up to 400V / TN network and are more normal in newer buildings in Norway and two connectors / plugs are normally used for charging electric vehicles:
1) 416-6 = 16A / 400V / 3-phase red CEE plug / contact
2) 432-6 = 32A / 400V / 3-phase red CEE plug / contact
Should you remain unsure about which plug or connector you have, or which adapter you need for charging, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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