Planning To Buy EV Charging Cables? Remember These 3 Important Things!

Millie Spencer
3 min readJul 25, 2018

The rise of electric cars is a certain proof that technology is constantly evolving. Compared to oil-powered vehicles which utilise fuel tanks, an electric vehicle utilises a charging station to fill up its built-in battery. Charging these cars are literally more like charging your cell phones. You just need EV charging cables and power source where you can plug-in your automobile, then it’s all set. The energy that the battery takes in will then be used to start up the car’s electric motor and get its wheels moving..

The charging speed generally depends on the kind of the car, as well as the power supply you are plugged into. So whether you already possess an electric vehicle or presently thinking of purchasing one, you should know that it is likewise important think of its recharging requirements. And among the most important items to consider are the cables that you will use to connect your vehicle to the electric charging stations. To help you in this matter, listed here are a few tips for purchasing EV charging cables.

1. Check the correct kind of charging plugs for your automobile
First thing’s first, ensure that the cable matches the model and make of your vehicle. Electric cars are typically built with two distinct types of socket. This apparently means that you’ll also require two different types of cables for charging. There are the type 1 plugs which are usually used for vehicle models from Asia such as Mitsubishi and Nissan. On the contrary, there are the type 2 cables that are used for European vehicle models and in Teslas.

2. Figure out how long it will take to charge your automobile
EV charging cables come in various capacities. So in case you own a high-capacity plug-in vehicle, it’s highly vital that the cable will not restrict the charging capacity of the car and the charging device. As a rule, there are three kinds of recharging speeds that you should take note of. First is the slow charging which commonly takes about five hours for the automobile to full charge. Then there is the fast charging that requires about an hour, and the rapid charging where you can plug-in your automobile in only 20 minutes. Remember that if the capacity of the cable isn’t sufficient for the power supply and vehicle, then the maximum charging capacity will not be met.

3. Check if the length of the plug is sufficient
Finally, be sure that the cable’s length is enough in all situations. This means that you also need to think about where the charging port is positioned. Is it beside the front or rear wheel? This way, you can gauge whether the cable can link the port to the charging device. For instance, if the charging station is on the opposite side of the parking area, then a four-metre-long cable might not be adequate. For this reason, it’s advisable to purchase plugs that are no less than five metres in length.

These are some of the points that you must take note of when buying EV charging cables. By following the tips stated above, you can be sure to locate the correct cables for an easy and safe charging of your electric vehicle.

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