Electric Vehicle Terms: EVSE vs. Charger - What Does Each Term Mean? We help to clarify the terms used to discuss electric vehicle charging. Here is a quick overview of the two terms EVSE and Charger and how each is used by EV owners and experts. Advertisement Electric vehicle charging is about to become a more widely discussed topic. With Ford, Toyota, VW, and of course, Tesla, now having smash hits with their latest electrified crossovers, more and more first-time consumers are interacting with long-time EV owners and advocates. One term that is often used in various ways is “charger.” As in “Electric vehicle charger” or simply, “EV Charger.”