Charging cables

Type 2 to Type 2 or Type 2 to Type 1

The charge point end is almost always Type 2 in Europe, so the vehicle inlet decides the rest. Look at the car, not at the brochure: the inlet is a fixed piece of hardware and no adapter should be used to bridge the two systems.

• Type 2 to Type 2: the European standard to IEC 62196-2. Seven pins, up to three phases, and a locking pin that the charge point or the car drives so the connector cannot be pulled out live.
• Type 2 to Type 1: for vehicles with a J1772 inlet. Type 1 is single phase only and tops out around 7.4 kW at 32 A. It has a mechanical latch with a thumb release instead of a motorised lock, so the vehicle end usually cannot be locked to the car.
• No adapters: Type 2 to Schuko adapters and similar improvisations bypass the control pilot logic and the protection built into the installation. A Mode 3 cable must connect a charge point to a vehicle, nothing else.

16 A or 32 A, single phase or three phase

Current rating and phase count together set the theoretical ceiling of the lead at 230 V per phase. The cable only has to be as strong as the weaker of the car and the charge point, because it can never raise either one.

• Single phase 16 A: about 3.7 kW. Light and cheap, adequate for plug-in hybrids and for slow overnight charging.
• Single phase 32 A: about 7.4 kW. The practical maximum for Type 1 cars and for single phase supplies.
• Three phase 16 A: about 11 kW. The rating that suits the largest share of European EVs, because 11 kW is the most common on-board charger size.
• Three phase 32 A: about 22 kW. Worth it only if the car has a 22 kW on-board charger, or if you want a lead that will never be the bottleneck on a public post.

Proximity pilot coding and why the cable cannot lie

Inside the plug that goes into the charge point sits a resistor between the PP and PE contacts. Its value declares the current capacity of the assembly, and the charge point reads it before it closes the contactor. Roughly 1500 Ω means 13 A, 680 Ω means 20 A, 220 Ω means 32 A and 100 Ω means 63 A. The CP line then carries a PWM signal whose duty cycle tells the car the maximum current the installation allows. The session settles at the lowest of the three values, so a 16 A cable on a 22 kW wallbox caps the whole session at 11 kW.

Length and where the inlet sits

Five metres is the common default, seven and ten metre leads exist for awkward parking. Longer is not automatically better: every extra metre adds weight, adds voltage drop and adds cable to coil up in the rain. Measure the real distance from the charge point to the vehicle inlet in the position you actually park, and remember that the inlet may be at the front, in a front wing or at the rear, which can turn a comfortable reach into a tight one when the car is turned round.

• Home garage with a fixed wallbox: 5 m is usually enough and stores easily.
• Shared or public posts: 7 to 10 m covers bays where the post sits behind the neighbouring car.
• Voltage drop: a long lead with a small cross-section warms up and wastes energy, which is exactly why length and cross-section have to be chosen together.

Straight or coiled, cross-section and weight

A straight cable is lighter for the same rating, handles cold better and lies flat. A coiled cable stores in less space and keeps most of its length off wet ground, but it is heavier, its usable reach is shorter than its stated length, and the coil pulls back on the connector. Coils also dissipate heat poorly when bundled, which is why coiled leads are more often found at 16 A than at 32 A three phase.

Cross-section follows current. A 16 A three phase lead typically uses 2.5 mm² conductors, while 32 A three phase needs about 6 mm², and that difference is felt every day: a five metre 22 kW cable is a noticeably heavier and stiffer object than an 11 kW one. Buy the rating you will use, not the largest number available.

Sheath, temperature and UV

A charging lead lives outdoors. It is dragged over kerbs, driven over occasionally, left in the sun and flexed at minus temperatures. Look for a TPU or rubber sheath rather than plain PVC, a stated flexibility range down to about −30 °C, UV stability and a halogen free construction. Mated connectors are typically rated IP44 or better, but that rating applies when they are plugged in, not when a wet connector is lying on the ground.

Storage and connector care

• Never drag the connector: pull the lead, carry the connector. Scored pins and a cracked housing start here.
• Cap it or bag it: keep a dust cap on the vehicle connector and store the lead in a bag or on a hook, off the garage floor.
• Respect the bend radius: coil loosely in wide loops. Tight coils around a sharp edge break conductors over time.
• Inspect the contacts: browning, pitting or melted plastic around a pin means overheating. Retire the lead, do not keep using it.
• No extension leads: a Mode 3 cable is not to be extended, doubled up or joined.

Mode 3 cable or Mode 2 portable charger

These are different devices and they are not interchangeable. A Mode 3 cable is a passive lead between a charge point and a car. A Mode 2 portable EV charger plugs into a domestic or industrial socket and carries an in-cable control and protection device that generates the control pilot signal and provides residual current protection, which is why it is heavier, slower and has a box in the middle.

Quick cable comparison

Swipe the table to the left