A question that has circulated around EV spaces for a while is whether using a third-party charging cable will affect your car's warranty. It is an understandable worry, given how some manufacturers behave about third-party products. Below are the questions owners actually ask us, answered plainly.
What types of charging cable might come from a third party?
The cable supplied with a new car is usually a Mode 2 cable: a 3 pin domestic plug at one end, and an In-Cable Control Box that talks to the car and limits the current. That is the one for charging from an ordinary socket.
The cable most people buy separately is a Mode 3 cable, which connects the car to a charge point. The car end is either Type 1 or Type 2. Type 2 is the standard in Britain and across Europe, and the end that goes into the charge point is always Type 2 here. Type 1 appears on older cars and on some models built for the Asian and North American markets.
You will also see Vehicle to Load cables for cars that support it. These do not charge the car. They let the car's own battery power something else, from a phone to camping equipment to power tools.
Will a third-party cable void your warranty?
Not by itself. A manufacturer generally cannot void your whole warranty simply because you used a third-party accessory, and the burden is on them to show that the accessory actually caused the fault they are declining to cover.
Where a real risk exists is damage the cable genuinely caused, for example a badly made connector damaging the pins in your charging port. That is why the cable you buy matters: it should meet IEC 62196, carry CE certification, match your car's inlet and be rated for the current you are drawing.
Unless your handbook explicitly says otherwise, using a properly made third-party cable is normal and expected. Manufacturers supply one cable and most owners end up needing a second.
Should I tell the manufacturer I use a third-party cable?
Yes, if it is ever relevant to a claim, and you should be wary of anyone in our industry who tells you to keep quiet about it.
There is nothing to hide. Buying a cable from a specialist rather than a dealer is an ordinary thing to do, and the protection above does not depend on concealment. What genuinely helps if a dispute ever arises is keeping the receipt, keeping the certification, and being able to show the cable was the right type and rating for the car. Advice to say nothing helps nobody, and it would put you in a worse position, not a better one, if something did go wrong.
Can I use the same charging cable on different cars?
Usually yes, provided both cars take the same connector, and that is the bit worth checking rather than assuming. Charging cables are not universal.
Most cars sold in Britain from around 2019 use a Type 2 inlet, and one Type 2 to Type 2 cable moves freely between them. Older cars often use Type 1, which has five pins against Type 2's seven, and a Type 2 cable will not physically fit one. The change did not happen on a single date either: the Nissan Leaf moved from Type 1 to Type 2 in 2018 and the Kia Soul in 2019, so two cars wearing the same badge can need different cables.
Rating is the other variable. The cable sets a ceiling, the car sets the actual speed. A 32A cable on a car whose onboard charger stops at 3.7 kW charges no faster than a 16A one, so buying up does not always buy you anything. Our guide to EV charging cable types explains how to tell which you have, and every vehicle page on this site lists that car's maximum AC charge speed.
How do I choose a reputable supplier?
A few things are worth checking before you spend.
Reviews, and how many of them. An average of four or five stars across hundreds of reviews tells you something. The same average across three reviews does not. Reviews also tell you how a company behaves when something goes wrong, which is when it matters.
How long they have traded. Longer established sellers are usually a safer bet, and they have the review history to judge them by.
Price, with your eyes open. A cheap cable can mean thin conductors or loose quality control. This is a product carrying serious current for hours at a time, and it is not the place to save ten pounds.
Range. A good company that does not stock your connector or your length is no use to you.
Delivery time. A two week lead time usually means the cable is being imported to order, which complicates anything you need to send back.
The warranty on the cable itself. Check what it covers and for how long. Ours is a 2 year manufacturer's warranty, and our cables are IP55 on Type 2 to Type 2 and IP67 on Type 2 to 3 Pin, rated from -30C to +50C.
If you want a hand working out which cable your car actually takes, call us on 01744 886 305 or use our contact form.
