Should I have a tethered charger or an untethered EV charger?

Charging at home is cheaper, easier, and more convenient than public charging. But what kind of charger do you need?

Tethered vs untethered EV chargers. The home charger you end up choosing all depends on what works best for you.

We’re breaking down the difference between tethered and untethered charging cables to help you in your decision.

Wait, there are different chargers?

First things first, you should know that both tethered and untethered chargers charge no differently from each other. It is just a personal preference for which charger you would like.

We now offer you the choice of either tethered or untethered as you progress through your sign-up journey.

Don’t electric cars come with chargers?

Unfortunately, no. Some cars come with a charging cable, which is why the option of an untethered (socket-only) charger exists.

While you can use a normal 3-pin plug to charge, this should only be your backup option. This is known as a trickle charge – and, when we say it trickles, it trickles! It has 3kW of power and charges 10 miles RPH (Range Per Hour) instead of 7kW of a home charger that charges at 15-30 miles RPH.

A trickle charge can take up to 12 hours to charge your electric car, while a home charger (also known as a fast charge) can take 4-6 hours.

It is more time and energy efficient to use chargers built for charging your car rather than a home socket.

A home charger means you can charge without a single worry or thought while you’re tucked up in bed – and isn’t that what we all want? Just plug in your charger whenever you’re home, schedule your car to charge overnight when energy is at its cheapest, and wake up fully charged each day. It couldn’t be simpler.

What is a tethered charger?

We refer to our tethered EV home charger as a ‘cable-attached’ charger – because (you guessed it) the cable comes attached to the charger.

The attached cable is either ~5m or ~7.5m long with a Type 2 socket depending on which model you choose, which is standard for charging and compatible with all EV models.

Our cable-attached charger is £24/month with 0% APR over 3 months (subject to credit check) or £864 upfront, including installation.

What are the benefits?

• The cable comes built into the charger itself

• Permanently attached so you’ll never lose it

• Convenient storing – just coil and uncoil as and when you use it

• Included in the price of the charger instead of buying your cable separately

What is an untethered charger?

We call our untethered charger our ‘socket-only’ charger – because that’s what it comes with!

An untethered charger is a neat option if you already have a cable to charge with! Some EV owners may already have a charging cable, whether having bought a specific one themselves or potentially receiving it with their car, and prefer to store their cable away and like the look of a tidy charger. Just attached the new (Type 2) socket and you’re all set!

Our cable-attached charger is £25/month with 0% APR over 3 months (subject to credit check) or £864 upfront, including installation.

What are the benefits?

• It’s a sleeker, tidier, more discreet look to your charger

• You have the flexibility to take it with you when you travel

• Transporting your cable comes in handy if coming across an untethered charge point

• It’s future-proof – if you need another cable in the future, you can simply swap it out

• Any visitors with an EV and their own cable can use your charger, too

Caring for your charging cable

Don’t be the person who drives away with your charging cable still attached! It can be difficult to start a new habit of unplugging and putting away your cable. Depending on your tethered or untethered charger, it’s best to know how to look after it.

Tethered cable (cable-attached):

Wrap the cable around your charger a few times until a little tail is left. Push the cable connector into the charger’s holster until you hear a ‘click’.

Untethered cable (socket-only):

Detach the cable from both your car and charger. You can keep it in your car or wrap it around your charger when you aren’t using it.

Charger aftercare from Egg

With our £3/month service subscription, Egg Plus, you're covered for complete peace of mind with our “no fuss” repair-or-replace promise. No matter what the issue is, we guarantee to repair or replace your charger – whatever it takes to get you back up and running. Even if it’s out of your control and outside the standard warranty!

(Egg Plus has a 3-year minimum term and will require a fee if it is cancelled during this time.)

Which home charger should you get?

Again, it’s all down to personal preference – but, hopefully, this guide has helped to sway you towards one more than the other. Or, if not, at least you can safely say that you know a lot more about them!

The next step is learning everything you need to know about charging from home.

So, a tethered or untethered home charger. Which will you choose? Head to our website to get cracking.