Top tips for selecting the right charging cable for an electric vehicle
What type of cable is suitable for your car? Read Plugit’s top tips.
There are two different charging cables, intended for different purposes.
The temporary charging cable, with which the vehicle can be charged from a regular domestic socket, is provided with the car. One end of the temporary charging cable is either a Type 1 or Type 2 plug, according to the charging standard of the vehicle, and the other end is a so-called Schuko plug (regular domestic plug).
A Type 2 cable, with which the vehicle can be charged in encased-model charging points (such as a public charging point), is provided with many models, but not all. One end of the Type 2 charging cable is either a Type 1 or Type 2 plug, according to the charging standard of the vehicle, and the other end is always a Type 2 plug.
The top tips below refer mostly to the Type 2 charging cable, but also apply to temporary charging cables, should such need to be replaced at some stage.
1. Check the correct type of charging plug for your car
The biggest mistake that can be made when selecting a cable is to choose a cable for the wrong model of vehicle. In other words, the most important thing is to choose a charging cable which is suitable for the make and model of your car. Cars on the market are fitted with two different types of socket.
The Type 1 standard is used in e.g. Nissan and Mitsubishi plug-in vehicles.
The Type 2 standard is used in European vehicles and in Teslas.
The charging cable for an electric vehicle should be selected according to the make and model of vehicle.
2. Check how long it takes to charge your car
Cables come with different capacities.
With high-capacity plug-in vehicles it is especially important that the cable does not limit the charging capacity between charging device and vehicle. For this reason 3x32A, Type 2 charging cables are recommended for such vehicles.
The 3x32A cable in question is suitable for charging all plug-in vehicles, and is thus a good choice for any car. Single-phase plug-ins are not able to utilise the full capacity of the cable, but the cable could also be useful in the longer term, if you decide to purchase a vehicle with a more powerful battery charger at some stage in the future.
A cable with a capacity of 1x20A is sufficient to ensure maximum charging capacity for vehicles equipped with a regular 3.6 kW (1x16A) charger. The advantage of this cable is that it is lighter and easier to handle, compared to a 3x32A cable.
3. The length of the cable depends on the position of the charging port on the vehicle
The position of the charging port on the vehicle may also affect the choice of cable to some extent. Especially with cars where the charging port is situated on one side (adjacent to the front or rear wheel), you may find that a four-metre-long cable will not reach the charging socket on the charging device. This problem occurs mostly in cases where for example the charging device is situated on the opposite side of a parking space than that of the charging port on the car.
In order to ensure that the length of the charging cable is sufficient in all circumstances, it is advisable to purchase a cable that is longer than 4 metres.
Cables from Plugit’s online store
You can be sure of safe, easy charging with the electric vehicle charging cables available in the Plugit online store. All cables on sale are tested and approved by the car manufacturers.
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For more advice on choosing the right charging cable, you can contact us e.g. on our chatline or use the form below.
