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Aug 23, 2023

Urgent warning for EV owners as experts reveal signs your car charging cable could be unsafe

DRIVERS who own three-pin plug EV charging cables are being warned about the dangers of using a faulty charging cable. A recent investigation by Electrical Safety First resulted in three EV charging

DRIVERS who own three-pin plug EV charging cables are being warned about the dangers of using a faulty charging cable.

A recent investigation by Electrical Safety First resulted in three EV charging cables from Amazon Marketplace and eBay being recalled by the Government's Office for Product Safety & Standards.

Although all new cars are supplied with a charging cable, not all of them come with a three-pin plug adapter charger which can result in people buying them online.

Now experts from Leasing Options have shared how to spot if your charging cable is unsafe.

Chief Operating Officer Mike Thompson explains: “If you have bought an EV charging cable from an online marketplace and are worried it could be unsafe, there are a couple of warning signs you should watch out for.

“Charging equipment should have CE marking or have UKCA marking according to the Government website.

CE marking is a label that confirms that the product has met the EU health and safety standards whereas UKCA marking is a marking used only for England, Scotland, and Wales and confirms the product has met UK health and safety standards.

“Another sign that the EV charging cable you have bought online could be unsafe or faulty is if it’s not sufficiently weatherproof, all EV charging equipment should be waterproof and UV-resistant.”

The three chargers which were removed from sale by eBay and Amazon Marketplace had a three pin plug at one end to connect to a wall socket.

Whilst you can charge your EV using a home socket this will take a long time and could put an excess load on your home circuit.

In the UK plug sockets are 13amp, if the EV charging cable is higher than this then this could overload the plug socket and cause both it and the cable to overheat putting you in danger.

If you own a three pin plug EV charging cable then you should ensure it is no higher than 13amp.

It is also recommended that you should install a wallbox charger if you regularly charge your EV at home and only use the three-pin plug for emergencies.