EV charging cable guide.

An EV charging cable connects an electric vehicle to a wall-mounted or freestanding charger. It carries the power safely from the charger to the car. And it lets the car and charger ‘talk’ to each other so that charging starts and stops at the right time.

Your EV cable will usually be covered by electric car insurance for accidental damage. But you won’t be covered for problems caused by poor maintenance or wear and tear.

Using an EV charging cable is just as easy as plugging a phone cable into your smartphone or mobile device. You simply plug it in and let your car and charger do all the work, following these short steps.

For info on how an EV battery works, see our Electric car battery guide.

A Type 2 EV charger is the standard connector for charging an electric car in the UK and Europe. You’ll use a Type 2 to charge your car at home or if you’re using a public charger - for example, at work or the local supermarket.

The chargers themselves are either tethered or untethered. Tethered chargers have a fixed cable. With untethered chargers, you need to use your own cable.

Another type of charging cable that’s used in the UK is a ‘granny’ 3-pin electric car cable. It’s a portable EV charger that uses a standard 3-pin plug to connect to an electrical socket in your home. A ‘granny’ cable provides much slower charging, so it’s only suitable for using in an emergency. In fact, it got its name - the ‘granny charger’ - because it comes in handy when your family come to stay and need to charge their car!

There are a few basic safety measures you need to take with your EV cable, to keep yourself and others safe. Both, while you’re charging, and when it’s not in use.

If you have to run your EV cable across a public path or road, it’s best to use a cable protector. That'll help to make it less of a trip hazard.

Car insurance can also help to give you peace of mind while using it. Tesco electric car insurance comes with personal liability cover. So you’ll be covered if someone trips over the cable outside your property.

To charge your battery, you need to plug your car into an electrical outlet designed for EVs. You can use a public charging point or one you’ve installed at home.

To learn more about charging your electric car battery, see our Electric car battery guide.

At Tesco Insurance, we like to do our bit for the planet. And we know our customers do too.

That’s why we’ve got a little help for the eco-friendly driver. We’ve partnered with Pod Point, so you can charge your car at Tesco while you’re doing the weekly shop. And, what’s more, you’ll collect Clubcard points for whatever you spend on charging!

You can usually expect a high-quality EV charging cable to last around 5 to 10 years. But how long it’ll last in reality depends on several things. Including:

A common cause for replacing an EV cable is wear and tear, which won’t be covered by your car insurance. Depending on how it’s handled, and how often, you might start to see fraying, cracks or damage to the connectors over time.

The replacement cost depends on a number of things, including:

If you have a tethered charger, and the fixed cable is damaged, you might need a qualified installer to repair or replace it. And that will add to the cost.

With our comprehensive car cover, we’ll cover your EV charging cable for the following:

Tesco electric car insurance includes cover for electric and hybrid cars as standard. It comes with all levels of our comprehensive cover - whether you go for Bronze, Silver or Gold.

Tesco Car Insurance is arranged and administered by Tesco Insurance and is underwritten by Tesco Underwriting Ltd.

You’ll find complete details of the cover, monetary limits, exclusions, excesses and terms in our policy documents.