Are all type 2 cables the same?
Discussion
NOT an electrician, but when I got my L2 charger I wanted to make sure I had a decent amount of cable to use, should I change the car at a later date and the location was in a different place. Also I wanted to make sure it was as durable as possible. They get dragged around, tripped over and potentially (depending where it is installed) has weather and chemicals thrown on it.
My L2 is inside the garage but I wanted to allow the cable to be used outside, should the garage be full. Additionally, with the weather here being a lot of sun, I wanted to ensure that it wasnt going to crack or go brittle after a few years. So far so good and no issues. So I would go for the most robust you can (doesnt always mean biggest / thickest) as well as a good amount of length for your use case.
My L2 is inside the garage but I wanted to allow the cable to be used outside, should the garage be full. Additionally, with the weather here being a lot of sun, I wanted to ensure that it wasnt going to crack or go brittle after a few years. So far so good and no issues. So I would go for the most robust you can (doesnt always mean biggest / thickest) as well as a good amount of length for your use case.
No they're not all the same...
They can be different power/current ratings (16A or 32A).
They can also be single phase or 3 phase.
You probably don't want/need a 3 phase cable.
You probably want 32A, even if the car only takes 16A as it will save you buying another one further down the line.
Also are you sure the car doesn't come with a cable?
They can be different power/current ratings (16A or 32A).
They can also be single phase or 3 phase.
You probably don't want/need a 3 phase cable.
You probably want 32A, even if the car only takes 16A as it will save you buying another one further down the line.
Also are you sure the car doesn't come with a cable?
If you don’t mind paying marginally more and having a bulkier cable then a 32A 3-phase cable covers all scenarios.
A lot of public AC chargers are 3ph (ubiquitous in Europe) and it may be handy being able to get 11/22kW depending on which your car supports.
If you buy a 16A cable you’ll get 11kW on a 3-phase supply but only 3.7kW on a single-phase supply, so 32A is essential really, it just comes down to whether you want 1 phase / lighter cable or 3 phase / heavier
A lot of public AC chargers are 3ph (ubiquitous in Europe) and it may be handy being able to get 11/22kW depending on which your car supports.
If you buy a 16A cable you’ll get 11kW on a 3-phase supply but only 3.7kW on a single-phase supply, so 32A is essential really, it just comes down to whether you want 1 phase / lighter cable or 3 phase / heavier
It looks like cables are being sold at all sorts of price points!
I have used https://evonestop.co.uk/ and found their cables to be well made and to be good value for money.
You've had a couple of view points around getting a 3-phase cable, and my view is that I wouldn't unless I definitely expected to need it. I say this as my car came with a 3-phase cable and I find it quite a bit heavier and less convenient that the longer single phase from this store.
I would definitely get 32amp, not 16amp. And get a cable that's plenty long enough rather than just long enough!
And check to see whether the car comes with a cable - I would be mighty surprised if it didn't.
I have used https://evonestop.co.uk/ and found their cables to be well made and to be good value for money.
You've had a couple of view points around getting a 3-phase cable, and my view is that I wouldn't unless I definitely expected to need it. I say this as my car came with a 3-phase cable and I find it quite a bit heavier and less convenient that the longer single phase from this store.
I would definitely get 32amp, not 16amp. And get a cable that's plenty long enough rather than just long enough!
And check to see whether the car comes with a cable - I would be mighty surprised if it didn't.
From a purely technical point of view - not having analysed any cables....
There are other factors involved too;
The number of insertion cycles on the connectors, connector contact resistance, cable resistance etc.
It is also perfectly possible to have heavy cables that are heavy due to insulation rather than copper thickness.
Not aware of any, but possibly aluminium cables too.
Flexibility also comes in to it.
In theory, you would want a 3-ph, 32A cable which is physically thin, low resistance, light, flexible, with durable connectors.
The cheapest isn't likely to be the best of all of those features, but then the most expensive also is no guarantee either.
In practice, it probably won't matter to most people.
There are other factors involved too;
The number of insertion cycles on the connectors, connector contact resistance, cable resistance etc.
It is also perfectly possible to have heavy cables that are heavy due to insulation rather than copper thickness.
Not aware of any, but possibly aluminium cables too.
Flexibility also comes in to it.
In theory, you would want a 3-ph, 32A cable which is physically thin, low resistance, light, flexible, with durable connectors.
The cheapest isn't likely to be the best of all of those features, but then the most expensive also is no guarantee either.
In practice, it probably won't matter to most people.
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