What Is A Tethered EV Charging Point?
Put simply, in a tethered home EV charging station, the electric car cable that is used to charge your electric vehicle (EV) is permanently fixed to the charging station.
What Is An Untethered EV Charging Station?
In an untethered electric car home charging unit, the EV charging cable that is used to charge your EV is not permanently fixed to the charging station. Such an EV home charging station is usually referred to as ‘socket only’.
What Is Length Of A Cable In A Tethered Charging Unit?
There is no one length. It varies depending on the manufacturer and charging unit model. For example, an EVBOX Elvi charging point comes with either a 4 m or 8 m cable, depending on which specific Elvi model you choose. We at e-zoomed recommend choosing an electric car charging station that has at least a 5m tethered cable. It is far more practical!
What Is Length Of A Cable In A Untethered Charging Unit?
There is no one length. It varies depending on your requirements but usually sold at lengths between 5 m and 10 m. We at e-zoomed sell electric car charging cables (type 1 and type 2) in various lengths, from 2m up to 25m! We always recommend purchasing at least a 5m EV charging cable. It is practical for both home EV charging and public EV charging.
Which Is Better: A Tethered Or Untethered Electric Car Charging Cable?
In general, most EV drivers carry an EV cable in their electric car boot to enable EV charging when on the road. However, the majority of time, an electric car is charged at home and usually overnight when the tariff rates are cheaper. We always recommend using green energy to power your home and plug-in electric car. At e-zoomed we have fantastic green energy partners, to include ecotricity and Good Energy. To switch via e-zoomed is easy. Simply follow this link and save on energy bills every year!
By owning a tethered home EV charging station, the EV owner is not inconvenienced by removing the cable from the boot every time the green car needs charging. Practically the best option, given the weather in the UK and avoids the hassle of uncoiling and coiling an untethered cable.
On the flip side, the length of the tethered cable is fixed and can sometimes have limitations for home charging if you need to change where you park or the type of electric vehicle to be charged.
Tethered cables can be stowed away in a tidy and easy manner which avoids any potential for tripping or injury when left running across the driveway. There is also the added comfort of security i.e. the cable cannot be removed or stolen from the charging station. Replacing a cable can be expensive and in most cases costing over £100, if not much more.
The advantage of untethered cables is that the EV driver is not restricted to a particular connector type, specially if the household has more than one electric car and different connectors are required or the household is looking to buy EV’s in the future that may need other connector types. However, if the family only owns one EV, then a tethered unit will do just fine. With untethered you are not limited to the length of the cable i.e. much more flexibility.
Lastly, as EV adoption increases, you may have guests that need to charge their EV. The choice between tethered and untethered will have an implication on their ability to charge, if the connector type is not the same. However, an adapter maybe used.
In conclusion, there is no straightforward answer. It depends on the circumstances, the type of EV you own, your budget, aesthetics, future proofing and your personal choice.
We at e-zoomed are more than happy to assist you with all your EV needs to include:
- Compare and buy your next green car
- Compare and buy EV charging points
- Compare and buy best electric car insurance deals in the UK
- Compare and buy best electric car breakdown cover in the UK
- Compare and buy green electricity for your home and electric vehicle
- Compare and buy best priced electric car charging cables and EV accessories
- Compare and buy best e-scooters!
- Compare and buy electric kick scooters
- Compare and buy an e-bike
