EV Charging basics - Cables

13.06.24 08:05 By Andy Dickens

Why it's important to look after a key component of your EV driving

One of the key components of your EV driving experience is your charging hardware. Going beyond the basics of having a convenient place to connect your car, the cable and it's condition can impact your charging experience. It's important to understand that condition of your charging cable can affect your charging times, safety, and energy used. This can apply both for the cable you received with your car, or the tethered cable that may be part of your charging hardware.


One of the first steps is to store your cable neatly in your car when you aren't using it. If you have a space or pouch supplied with your car, then keeping the cable in this will help you keep it protected, and free from debris and loose items. Also by making sure that it's stored in the car, it keeps your charging hardware were you might need it if you find yourself needing to charge while away from home. Leaving it loose on the ground could result in damage, debris, or corrosion of the connectors in the end of the cable. 


Consider checking the condition of the cable itself on a regular basis for any wear, cracks in the outer casing, or frays and exposed wires. While charging cables are tough, if left loose on the ground, there's always a chance it could be run over or stepped on. If you decide to go for a tethered charger, make sure to use the supplied wall holster for you cable to keep the attached connector protected and out of harms way. If you are coiling any EV charging cables, make sure that you avoid doing it too tightly. A common way a charging cable can fail is the communication wire in the cable breaking. This cable is thinner than the main power wires within the overall cable and is likely to be the first to fail if a cable is treated badly in use. Always make sure to use the connector handle to remove or attach your cable when charging your car, and not pulling the cable itself. 


When checking your cable for general signs of wear and tear, giving the connecters themselves a regular spray with some non-conductive pray clearer with help make sure that the sensitive contacts are kept in good condition for the lifetime of your cable. Your charging cable will be rated for 10,000 insertion cycles, which works out at 27 years if you connect every night to charge, so looking after your cable for the time you have the car shouldn't be a hard task.


If you do find your charger taking longer to charge your car, having charging interruptions, or notice the charging handle being warmer than normal to the touch, then consider checking or replacing your cable. 



Andy Dickens