Buying an electric car costs more up front than the petrol equivalent, and costs less to run. What surprises most new owners is not the car. It is the short list of things that do not come with it.
Here is what you actually need in the UK, and what you can skip.
1. A way to charge at home
Around 80% of EV charging happens at home, so this is the decision that matters most.
You have two options. A wallbox charges at around 7.4kW on a normal single phase UK supply, which adds roughly 25 miles of range an hour, and costs £800 to £1,200 fully installed. A Type 2 to 3 pin cable plugs into an ordinary 13amp socket, charges at around 2.4kW, adds roughly 8 miles an hour, and costs from £187.99.
If you drive under about 80 miles a day and can plug in most nights, the cable covers you. Above that, the wallbox earns its money. Our breakdown of EV charger installation costs has the detail, and our guide to charging from a regular 13amp socket covers the safety rules that go with a 3 pin setup.
On grants, the electric vehicle chargepoint grant covers 75% of the cost of buying and installing a socket, up to £500, and runs to 31 March 2027. It is open to renters and flat owners with off street parking, and there is a matching £500 grant for households with on street parking who are fitting a cross pavement solution. The scheme for homeowners with a driveway closed in 2022.
2. A charging cable
This is the one that catches people out. Most new cars are no longer supplied with a charging cable, and neither the 3 pin cable nor the Type 2 cable is standard equipment on most models.
What you need depends on your charger:
- Untethered wallbox: a Type 2 to Type 2 cable. Ours carry 7.4kW on single phase and 22kW on three phase, are IP55 rated, and come in 5m, 10m, 15m and 20m.
- Tethered wallbox: nothing extra, the cable is attached.
- No wallbox, or as a backup: a Type 2 to 3 pin cable. Ours are IP67 rated and adjustable from 6 to 13 amps.
Almost every EV and plug-in hybrid sold in the UK uses a Type 2 connector at the car. The exceptions are older cars such as the pre 2018 Nissan Leaf and the first generation Outlander PHEV, which are Type 1. Our guide on buying the correct charging cable walks through it.
Both of ours carry a 2 year manufacturer's warranty and ship free next working day.
3. Somewhere to keep the cable
A charging cable is heavy, and a wet one loose in the boot is nobody's idea of a good time. A cable bag keeps it clean and keeps the connectors off the boot floor. We stock bags, 3 pin holders and wall mounts in our accessories range.
If the cable lives outside on the wall, a holder keeps the connector out of standing water. What you should not use is a cable reel, because a reel left coiled traps heat in its own windings. Our guide to cable reels explains why.
4. An overnight electricity tariff
This is where the running cost saving actually comes from. A standard tariff sits near the Ofgem cap. An overnight EV tariff prices the small hours far below it, and charging is the one large load you can move into that window without thinking about it.
If you buy an EV and stay on a standard tariff, you leave most of the saving on the table.
What you do not need
- A 22kW charger. It needs a three phase supply, and UK homes are almost all single phase. Upgrading costs £3,000 to £15,000.
- An extension lead or a cable reel. Never charge through either. Buy the cable length you need instead.
- A replacement battery fund. Most manufacturers warrant the battery for eight years or 100,000 miles. Battery failure outside warranty is rare, and worrying about it costs more sleep than it is worth.
- Two cables, usually. One Type 2 to Type 2 for home and one 3 pin in the boot as a backup covers almost every situation.
The short version
Sort the charging first, buy the right cable for it, get on an overnight tariff, and put the cable in a bag. That is the whole list.
Not sure which cable your car takes? Call us on 01744 886 305 or email sales@evcableshop.co.uk and we will check it for you.
