In 1999, the Commissione Italiana Veicoli Elettrici Stradali [it] (Italian electric vehicles association, CIVES) approached Scame to design an interface specifically for charging electric vehicles,[2] which led to a system that delivered single-phase AC line voltage through what is now called a Type 3A female socket via an adaptor that plugged into a standard 230 V AC outlet.

[8]: 21 [9]: 111 The Type 3C interface was developed approximately ten years later for the transmission of power at more than 3 kW;[5]: 56  the EV Plug Alliance was formed in March 2010 to promote the use of the Type 3C connector as "a high safety plug and socket solution" in Mode 3 (3–22 kW) AC charging.

The IEC 62196-2 Type 1 connector (codified under SAE J1772) is the corresponding standard for single-phase AC charging in the United States, Canada, and South Korea.

[13] As specified by IEC 62196, cars are fitted with a male vehicle inlet, whilst charging stations are fitted with a female socket outlet, either directly on the outside of the charging station, or via a flexible cable with permanently attached connector on the end.

The Type 3C connector can be provided with a logic-controlled latching system to prevent theft of the cable.

In this system, a pin is driven up from below the socket, mating with a matching cutout on the shroud of the plug.

[17][18] A law in France requires mechanical protection for the infrastructure interface, so there are still some (generally older) untethered charging stations in that country which are equipped with Type 3C socket outlets.