Should I get a tethered or untethered charging socket for my new electric cars?

What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks

Should I get a tethered or untethered charging socket for my new electric cars?

I'm about to purchase both a Toyota Prius plug-in and a Nissan Leaf. I have the option of getting a Chargemaster home charging unit for free via an offer from Toyota. I can have either a tethered unit or a Type 2 socket unit, but I'm unsure which is the best to go for. I understand both cars have Type 2 sockets for the charging inputs. I'm looking to the future when all EV cars have a Type 2 socket. Or has a standard yet to be determined, which may well change from Type 2 and thus make my unit obsolete? What would your advice be?

Asked on 17 September 2018 by

Answered by Andrew Brady

As you've probably gathered, there are pros and cons to both tethered and universal units. As both the Leaf and Prius Plug-in use Type 2 sockets, I'd be inclined to opt for the tethered charge point to save hassle messing around with charging leads every time you want to charge. Plus, if you change to another EV in the future that needs a different socket, you can buy adaptors or pay an electrician a small fee to change the socket.

Tags: hybrid electric cars hybrid cars phev

Similar questions

I want to buy an EV or PHEV but I worry about changing from manual to auto - what do you think?

When electric vehicles are discussed, one thing I do not see mentioned is whether older drivers should change from manual to electric. Electric vehicles must be automatic or equivalent to an automatic....

Is a PHEV a better choice than a hybrid?

I have owned Toyota hybrids for a few years now and have been satisfied with the quality and performance. My wife and I cover about 12,000 miles a year. It's mixed driving (motorway, country roads and...

How much does it cost to install a charging point for electrics and hybrid plug-ins at a private home?

Related models