All charging cables do not lead you to Rome, but if you do choose the right cable you will at least get your car charged. Choosing the right charging cable might seem complicated but as we will tell in this article, it does not need to be particularly difficult. We will clarify the important things and what options you have, ending with a clear recommendation.
Well, rather which type is your EV, as charging stations either support type 1 or type 2 connections. Type 2 is nowadays standard in Europe, but there are still older EVs that require type 1 connection, so it might be good to check.
When you choose a charging cable you also choose how many amps you need, and this should be based on what power your charging stations provides. The charging cable will never be able to provide more power than your charging station, but sometimes more amps in your cable could be valuable out on the roads, when you use public chargers with more power.
The obvious answer to how long your charging cable should be, is based on the distance between your charging station and the car. It could be worth keeping in mind that the length of the cable not in any way affects the function or power of the cable.
Some charging stations offers fixed charging cables while others offer sockets where you will mount the cable yourself. The benefit of a fixed cable is that it is fixed, so you do not have to connect and disconnect it, and also not have to worry about someone “borrowing” your cable. The benefit of inserting the cable yourself is that you can switch cables over time and also bring the cable with you on the road.
While we do not recommend charging directly from normal wall sockets, it could sometimes be a temporary solution if you are on the road or if something has gone wrong. In that case it is important to have a cable with a residual current and either type 1 or 2 connection. Don’t forget to check out our smart option Charge Amps Ray.
Public charging stations along the roads can give our EV the love it deserves on longer trips. Some charging stations offers fixed cables that you use while others offer sockets for you to use your own cable. Most of the time though it is type 2 connections, so if you are a type 1, you will be helped by a converter.
So how should you approach this? Our recommendation is to have two charging cables in your car, one to be used at public charging stations and one that you can use in normal wall sockets. Then you should be covered to have a safe and comfortable experience, even when you take an adventurous road trip into the wilderness.
