As a responsible electric car owner, you need to take time to learn about your vehicle. This is essential for you to use the vehicle the right way and keep it in good condition. One of the accessories you need to familiarise yourself with is the charging cable.
Every electric vehicle (EV) owner needs to have EV charging cables. It is not wise to drive around without having one.
An EV charging cable is necessary when plugging your vehicle into pretty much every public charging station in Ireland. The majority of home and workplace chargers are also the untethered type, so it is certainly worth carrying a separate cable around with you in your EV..
There are many different types of EV charging cables available. Choosing the right one for your vehicle can be confusing if you don’t know anything about this car accessory. To help you pick the right one, we are providing some useful information below on EV charging cables.
EV Charging Cables Type 1 and Type 2 – What’s The Difference?
The cables vary depending on the plug they have on one end – either a Type 1 or Type 2. Type 1 cables are an older charging standard more commonly found in the US and Asian countries like Japan and China.
Meanwhile, Type 2 cables are the standard across Europe. Nissan Leaf, Jaguar I-Pace, Renault Zoe and Kia e-Niro are examples of electric cars with Type 2 sockets.
Type 1 and Type 2 EV Charging Cables – What Are the Differences?
One key difference between these two kinds of EV cables is the presence of a locking pin. This is a security feature present in Type 2 cables but not in Type 1 cables. When charging, the locking pin is what keeps the plug in place, thereby eliminating incidents of the plug falling out. In Type 1 cables, a latch is what prevents the cable from getting detached.
The locking pin also ensures the security of the charging as it prevents unauthorised people from disconnecting the cable from the car end. Only owners can unplug the charging cable from their vehicles by unlocking the oors with the car keys.
Type 1 is a single-phase charging cable while Type 2 has both single-phase and three-phase charging capability. What does this mean? The three-phase circuit has two additional wires, L2 and L3, which make it possible to charge the vehicles up to three times faster than the single-phase charging cable. Furthermore, L1 or the single phase in a type 2 charging cable can deliver a maximum of 32 Amps of current, as opposed to a maximum of 16 Amps through a type 1 charging cable.
While the Type 2 standard provides obvious benefits to the EV driver, some manufacturers have kept stock with the Type 1 connector. Examples of EVs with Type 1 sockets are: the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. However this is all about to come to an end as a pan european directive has specified that all cars sold in Europe after 2020 must have a Type 2 socket for AC charging.
What EV Charging Cable Should You Choose?
The type of cable you should buy solely depends on the electric vehicle you own. Checking your EVs charging port will tell you if it has a Type 1 or Type 2 socket.
Once you’ve determined the type of connector for your car, what you should consider next is the length of the cable. A 5-metre cable is a good option as it is long enough to allow most users to charge with ease. It is also storage-friendly – light enough to store and carry around in your car. Meanwhile, you can go for a longer EV cable if you want one with more reach.
Lastly, pick a cable that matches the current rating of your vehicle to suit single or three phase demand. However, if you can afford a higher rated cable, get one as you can use it for a vehicle with a higher rate. Furthermore, it’s a way of preparing for the future since there are plans to shift to higher currents for EV charging.
Are you looking for high quality EV charging cables? Visit our page to view the different EV charging leads and accessories we offer. Call us now on 1800 99 88 77 to learn more about our products and services!
