# EV Charging Cable Buying Guide: Which Cable Do You Need? By EV Charge Cables · Published 18 October 2026 **The short version** Choose your connector type first (Type 2 for all modern UK EVs, Type 1 for older models), then your length (5m for most driveways, 10m for longer runs), then your speed (7.4kW for single-phase homes, 22kW only if you have three-phase supply and your car supports it). - Type 2 connector: standard on every UK EV sold since roughly 2018 - 7.4kW (32A single-phase) is the right choice for most UK homes - Length: measure the cable run, not the straight-line distance There are four decisions to make when buying an EV charging cable: what connector, how long, what power rating, and whether you have a tethered or untethered wallbox. Most people need a 5m Type 2 cable rated at 7.4kW. Here is how to confirm that is right for your situation, and what to do if it is not. ### Step 1: What connector does your car have? Look at the charging port on your car. You need to know what the car-end connector looks like, because that is the end the cable plugs into. | Connector type | Shape | Common vehicles | Cable you need | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Type 2** (Mennekes, IEC 62196) | Round, 7-pin | All modern UK EVs: Tesla, BMW, VW, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan Ariya, MG, Volvo, Polestar, and most others since 2018 | [Type 2 to Type 2](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/type-2-charging-cables) | | **Type 1** (J1772) | Flat 5-pin, slightly D-shaped | Pre-2018 Nissan LEAF, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, early Kia Soul EV, some imported Japanese models | [Type 1 to Type 2](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/type-1-charging-cables) | Not sure which inlet your car has? Search your car's make and model in our [vehicle finder](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/ev-charging-cable) — it tells you the inlet type and recommends the right cable. If your car has a CCS or CHAdeMO rapid-charge port as well, that is for public rapid chargers only. Your home wallbox uses the AC inlet (Type 2 or Type 1), not the DC rapid-charge port. ### Step 2: How long a cable do you need? Measure the actual cable run from your wallbox to where the car parks, following the route the cable will lie: along walls, around obstacles, and across the ground. Do not measure a straight line. Add 10–15% slack so the cable lies flat without tension. | Your situation | Length to buy | | --- | --- | | Short driveway, wallbox on the house wall | [5m](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/5m-ev-charging-cable) | | Longer driveway or awkward route | [7.5m](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/7-5m-ev-charging-cable) | | Long driveway or on-street parking directly outside | [10m](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/10m-ev-charging-cable) | | On-street parking a few spaces away | [15m](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/15m-ev-charging-cable) | | Rural property, detached garage, outbuilding | [20m](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/20m-ev-charging-cable)–[25m](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/25m-ev-charging-cable) | Full guidance in our [cable length guide](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/blogs/guides/what-length-ev-charging-cable-do-i-need). ### Step 3: Do you need 7.4kW or 22kW? This is the question that trips most buyers up. Three things have to align before a 22kW cable charges you any faster than a 7.4kW one: your wallbox must be rated for 22kW, your car's onboard charger must accept 22kW AC, and your home must have a three-phase electricity supply. **Most UK homes run on single-phase supply.** Single-phase caps out at 7.4kW for EV charging regardless of what wallbox you install. Buying a 22kW cable for a single-phase home means it charges at 7.4kW — same speed, higher cost. Check your fuseboard. Single-phase homes have one main fuse. Three-phase homes have three. If you are not sure, your DNO (Distribution Network Operator) can tell you the supply at your address. | Your setup | Max AC charge rate | Cable to buy | | --- | --- | --- | | Single-phase home (most UK homes) | 7.4kW | 7.4kW (32A) Type 2 | | Three-phase home + 22kW wallbox + compatible car | 22kW | 22kW (3×32A) Type 2 | | Three-phase home but car only accepts 11kW | 11kW | 7.4kW or 22kW — same charge speed either way | Full breakdown in our [7kW vs 22kW guide](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/blogs/guides/7kw-vs-22kw) and [single-phase vs three-phase explainer](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/blogs/guides/single-phase-vs-three-phase-ev-charging). ### Step 4: Do you have a tethered or untethered wallbox? A **tethered wallbox** has a cable permanently attached. You do not need a separate cable — just uncoil the cable and plug into the car. An **untethered wallbox** (also called a socketed wallbox) has a Type 2 socket on the front. You plug one end of your cable into the wallbox and the other into the car. This is where our cables come in. If you are not sure which you have: if there is a cable hanging out of the wallbox permanently, it is tethered. If there is a recessed socket (like a larger version of a caravan hookup), it is untethered. Our cables also work at any public Type 2 charge point. ### Quick-pick table: which cable by scenario | Scenario | Cable | | --- | --- | | Modern UK EV, short driveway, single-phase home, untethered wallbox | [5m Type 2, 7.4kW](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/type-2-charging-cables) | | Modern UK EV, long driveway or on-street parking | [10m Type 2, 7.4kW](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/10m-ev-charging-cable) | | Pre-2018 Nissan LEAF or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | [5m Type 1 to Type 2](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/type-1-charging-cables) | | Three-phase supply, 22kW wallbox, Renault Zoe or Tesla Model 3 LR | 5m Type 2, 22kW | | Barn conversion, rural property, long run | [25m Type 2, 7.4kW](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/25m-ev-charging-cable) | | V2L — use car as a power source | [V2L discharge cable](https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/collections/v2l-discharge-cables) | ### What about portable chargers (granny chargers)? A portable EVSE plugs into a standard 13A household socket on one end and your car's Type 2 or Type 1 inlet on the other. It charges at around 2.3kW — much slower than a wallbox — and is designed as a backup, not for everyday use. If you have a wallbox installed, you do not need a portable charger. --- Canonical version: https://www.evchargecable.co.uk/blogs/guides/ev-charging-cable-buyers-guide EV Charge Cables, EV charging cables matched to your car: https://www.evchargecable.co.uk. Some links in this article are Amazon affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.