Electric car cables and accessories. All makes & models

There are 2 main types in the UK - Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 are becoming the standard in the U.K. When you buy an electric car it will probably arrive with two electric car cables one for recharging from a three-pin socket and another Type 2 cable which you’ll need if you want to use some public charging points or home charge points.

Type 1 EV Cables

Suitable for:

Citroen C-Zero, Ford Focus Electric, Kia Soul EV, Mitsubishi I-MIEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, NIssan e-NV200 Combi, NIssan Leaf 2012-2017, Peugeot iOn, Renault Fluence, Toyota Prius, Vauxhall Ampera, and all other type 1 vehicles.

Suitable for:

Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, KIA, Lucid Air, Mercedes, Mini, Nissan Leaf 2018, Porsche, Range Rover P400e, Renault, Smart, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, and all other type 2 vehicles. Without a Type 2 connector you will be unable to use some non rapid charging points without a Type 2 charging cable.

Type 1 plugs are single-phase and allow for fast charging at a power output level of 3.7kW-7.4kW AC and a range per hour of approximately 12.5-25 miles. The design features 5-pins. This plug is mostly used with car models found in parts of Asia, and less so in Europe. It may be difficult to find Type 1 chargers and charging stations in the UK

This is a 7-pin plug design that is the standard for the European market. It offers fast charging capability with a power output level of 3.7kW-7kW AC. This provides an approximate range per hour of charging of 12.5-25 miles. One exception to this standard is Tesla Superchargers. They provide DC on Type 2 connectors. The output level is 130kW with a range per hour of 180 miles.

Rapid and ultra-rapid charging most commonly use Combined Charging Standard (CSS) connectors, which charge at up to 350kW DC (direct current, which is much faster than AC). CCS combination ev cables are becoming the standard in the UK.

These types of ev cables offer up to 50kW power ratings. The name is an abbreviation of "CHArge de MOve" (which the organistation translates as "charge for moving"). These work on older Japanese EVs. CCS cables are becoming the standard in the U.K.

You find them at EV rapid chargers. They are compatible with various brands, including Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota and even Tesla.
Tesla Supercharger
The supercharger model requires a modified Type 2 charging cable, also known as a Mennekes plug. With this cable, the Tesla Model S only takes 30 minutes for an 80% charge.

Electric car cables typically come in 16amp and 32amp formats, and the latter will be heavier and thicker – it needs a fatter wire to carry more current. A 7kW home charger will have a 32amp supply, while 3.6kW home charger is usually 16amps.

It may be worth buying a 32amp ev cables even if your current cars charger is only rated to 16amps, because you may wish to use the cable for another, higher-rated vehicle later on. However, 32amp cables are heavier, and therefore a bit more awkward to handle, which can put people off.

Most EVs and EV chargers in the UK are compatible. Most rapid chargers have two ev cables for the two most popular rapid charge connectors (CHAdeMO and CCS,) so you simply select and use the one that fits your EV.

For non-rapid charging you may have to supply your own electric car cables.

EVs in the UK will either have the above Type 1 inlet socket or (more usually) a Type 2 inlet socket.

You should be able to find the type of charging port on your EV from your dealer, lease company, or handbook.

To find suitable public charging points, use an app like myev MAPS, which highlights the charge points on a map. myev MAPS can be filtered by connector type, EV type or charging speed.

Your EV should come with the ev cables you need and will be one of four types, determined by the speed options mentioned above.

Slow charging has the option to use Type 1, Type 2 and – as a last and very slow resort – a three-pin plug that connects to a house socket.

Type 2 is by far the most common electric car cables and the speed is limited at up to 6kW AC (alternating current).

Fast charging can also use Type 1 or Type 2 connectors, although Type 2 is again by far the most common option. Type 2 connectors are capable of charging up to 22kW AC, compared with Type 1’s limit of up to 7kW AC.

Rapid and ultra-rapid charging most commonly use Combined Charging Standard (CSS) connectors, which charge at up to 350kW DC (direct current, which is much faster than AC). But they also have the option to use CHAdeMO (up to 50kW DC) and Type 2 (up to 43kW AC) connectors. If your electric vehicle can take a rapid charge, you may also want to use an ultra-rapid charging point, as the power is limited to whatever the vehicle can accept.

Each connector features a unique head design, with a specific pin pattern corresponding with the plug-in port on the charging point.

Electric car cables is a cable that connects your car to an electric charging point. With a ‘plug head’ on either end, one end of the connector pushes into a charging port on your electric car, and the other end plugs into a port on the charging station. Often, the charging port on the electric car will be in the same place that a fuel cap would be on a petrol/diesel car.

Not all ev cables are the same. Some are designed for slow charging, some for fast and some for rapid or ultra-rapid. As a result, your car may not be able to use all types of charging station.

Charging your EV will very quickly become second nature, particularly if you’ve used petrol or diesel pumps at filling stations before. Connecting and disconnecting ev cables can take a little more force than inserting a traditional nozzle into a petrol/diesel tank, making it a little more challenging, but this is an issue that has been identified and is now being addressed by manufacturers.

If you’re using a slow or fast charging station, you will need to use your electric car cables and attach it to both the EV and the charging point. Rapid and ultra-rapid charging stations usually have the ev cables tethered, so you’ll only need to plug that into your EV.

Whichever option you use, it’s sensible to travel with your own charging cables at all times. EV cables are usually somewhere between four and 10 metres long.

There are plenty of online resources showing charging points across the UK. myev MAPS is a great resource, which details the locations of more than 35,000 public charge points across the UK. Helpfully, it even colour codes the charge points to signal the different speeds and types of ev cables you’ll find at each location.