IEC 62196-2 defines the dimensional compatibility and interchangeability requirements for the a.c. pin and contact-tube accessories used for the conductive charging of electric vehicles. Its purpose is to guarantee that a vehicle inlet of a given configuration will mate reliably with a connector of the same configuration from any manufacturer, so that a driver can charge at any compatible charging point. The standard specifies the physical dimensions of the accessories, the arrangement and dimensions of the power and signal contacts, the keying features that prevent a connector from being inserted into an incompatible inlet, and the tolerances that must be respected so that the connection is neither loose nor excessively tight. It identifies the accessory types commonly referred to as type 1 and type 2 together with their variants, and it gives the corresponding inlet dimensions. The requirements are verified with gauges and with the mechanical and electrical tests defined in the general part, and the standard is used by manufacturers, by certification bodies and by vehicle manufacturers specifying the charging interface for a new model.