Electric car charging cables

What are the key types of electric car charging cables?

There are two key types of electric car charging cables – tethered and untethered.

• Tethered cables are those that are permanently attached to a charger, whether that’s your home charger or a public charger. You don’t need a separate cable, you just use the cable already attached to the charger. Tethered cables vary by connector type and charging speed.
• Untethered cables are not fixed to a charger and are usually stored and carried in your car. Untethered cables will vary by connector type and charging speed, and both ends need connecting to a socket – one on your car and the other on a charger.

What are the most common types of connectors on electric car charging cables?

All electric car charging cables vary by your car’s connector type, with some being more common that others as technology improves.

• Type 2: This seven-pin connector is the European standard for alternating current (AC) slow and fast charging (usually 7kW to 22kW) and is the connector most commonly used to connect most modern electric cars to a power source.
• Combined Charging System (CCS): This adds two direct current (DC) pins to the standard Type 2 plug and is used for rapid and ultra-rapid DC charging up to 350 kW. You’re most likely to see this type of connector on the cables attached to public charging points at motorway service stations. Most modern electric cars will have the combined ports for use with a CCS connector.
• CHAdeMO: This is a Japanese DC fast-charging connector type capable of charging speeds up to 50 kW or more usually found on older electric cars. It has been largely phased out in favor of CCS connectors for faster charging.
• Type 1: This is a five-pin AC connector normally found on much older electric cars. It has been largely phased out in favour of Type 2 connectors on modern electric cars.

What other types of electric car charging cables are there?

There are two other types of electric car charging cables that can be used to charge your vehicle.

• Three-pin-to-Type-2 cables: This cable features a Type 2 connector that you plug into your electric car and a standard three-pin plug at the other end to connect to a normal UK wall socket. Charging is slow, but can be useful for people who don’t have access to a faster home charger.
• Integrated cables: These are charging cables that remain permanently attached to an electric car and only need plugging into a charger. The new Fiat Grande Panda, for example, features an integrated Type 2 connector cable that is permanently attached to the front of the car (behind a pop-out panel) and cannot be disconnected from the car itself – it does also have a CCS charging port on the side of the vehicle for use on rapid or ultra-rapid public chargers.

If you buy your own electric car charging cable, how do you choose the right length?

All electric cars come with an untethered AC charging cable in the boot (or frunk), unless they feature an integrated charging cable like the new Fiat Grande Panda. However, you might want to buy your own if the included cable isn’t long enough.

Regarding length, most AC charging cables included with an electric car are three metres long, but a longer cable might be more convenient if your parking layout at home is awkward or you simply want a longer cable for use in public. Some can be longer than 10 metres, but a five- or 7.5-metre long cable might be more easy to store. That’s why we like electric cars with a good-sized frunk (front trunk)… charging cables can get dirty when exposed to the elements, and putting them in the frunk on their own, as opposed to your boot with other luggage, is a nice option to have.

If you buy your own electric car charging cable, how do you choose the right power rating

When choosing to buy a cable, checking the cable’s power rating is key. You need to ensure that its power-carrying capability matches or exceeds your electric car’s on-board AC charging capacity. The charger itself will always limit its power output according to your car and cable.

So, if you have a home charger, buying a 32A single-phase or 22kW three-phase cable is often a good shout… it will charge lower-power-rated cars because the charger will limit its power output to match the car’s rating, but when you upgrade to an electric car capable of faster AC charging later on you’ll already have the best cable.

Are there any legal issues to be aware of when using an electric car charging cable?

When using an electric car charging cable that’s tethered to a home or public charger, make sure you're parked in the space allocated to that charger and that your vehicle is parked the right way round to avoid stretching the cable or damaging the car’s charging port.

If you’re charging using an untethered cable, particularly at home, be aware that running a charging cable across a pavement or public footpath is illegal under the Highways Act because they present a tripping and shock hazard. However, some local authorities do install channels in public footpaths for untethered charging cables to run through, and some will also subsidise the digging of these channels, so it’s worth finding out if yours will let you have one installed if you don’t have off-street parking or a driveway near your home charger or wall socket for using a three-pin charging cable.

Are there any maintenance or safety tips to be aware of when using an electric car charging cable?

As previously mentioned, when using a tethered electric car charging cable ensure you’re parked safely – either close enough to the charger or in the allocated parking space for the public charger. You don’t want to stretch the cable or have the cable pull on your car’s charging port and risk damaging it.

It’s also worth checking your cable over regularly for damage, including cracks in the cable’s plastic housing, any fraying (particularly where the cable meets a plug or connector), or general water damage. If you spot anything like that, it’s advisable to replace the cable completely rather than risk using it.

Finally, if you charge your car at home with a tethered or untethered electric car charging cable, consider installing security cameras or sensor-activated lights ( like those you can buy from Ring) to protect you from cable theft. You can also buy fake security cameras as a deterrent if you prefer.