Type 1 vs Type 2: Which Charger Do You Need?

Type 1 is a 5-pin connector originally designed for early EVs, primarily Japanese and American models (early Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV). It supports up to 7.4kW charging.

Type 2 is a 7-pin connector that has become the universal standard across Europe and the UK. Every new EV sold in the UK since 2018 uses Type 2. It supports up to 22kW on three-phase supply, or 7.4kW on the single-phase supply found in virtually all UK homes.

Bottom line: If you're buying a new EV in 2026, you need a Type 2 charger. If you have an older Nissan Leaf (pre-2018) or Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, you need Type 1 — but these cars are increasingly rare.

If your home was built in England under Part S of the Building Regulations, which took effect on 15 June 2022, its chargepoint should be untethered: Approved Document S says a chargepoint installed to meet Part S should be fitted with a universal socket, with a tethered unit acceptable only in exceptional circumstances, such as a self-build where the vehicle requirements are already known.

The reason is that the regulations require a Part S chargepoint to be compatible with all vehicles which may require access to it. A developer building homes for buyers it hasn't met can't know what car will park there, so a socket that takes whichever cable the driver brings is the standard answer. If you want to check what your home has, see does your new build already have a chargepoint? Part S applies in England only; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own building rules.

A tethered charger has its cable permanently attached, while an untethered charger has a socket and you plug in a separate cable each time you charge.

Tethered: the cable is always there, so there is nothing to get out of the car or store. The trade-off is that the cable's connector and length are fixed when you buy the unit.

Untethered: you use your own cable, so the same socket can serve cars with different connectors or needing a longer cable. The trade-off is handling and storing that cable. Some units offer both: the Easee One's Type 2 socket can permanently lock a cable in place.

7kW (single-phase): This is what 99% of UK homes have. A single-phase electrical supply supports a maximum of 7.4kW charging. This adds roughly 25-30 miles of range per hour of charging. For most people, this means a full charge overnight (plug in at 10pm, fully charged by 7am).

22kW (three-phase): Requires a three-phase electrical supply, which very few UK homes have. Some new builds in commercial or mixed-use developments might have it, but it's rare for residential. Even if you do have three-phase, your car needs to support 22kW AC charging (not all do).

What most new build buyers should get: A 7.4kW single-phase charger. It's more than enough for daily driving. If you commute 30 miles each way, that's 60 miles per day — fully replenished in about 2 hours of charging. Most people charge overnight and never think about it.

For a new build in 2026, go for a Type 2, 7.4kW charger — and if your home already has a Part S chargepoint, it should already meet that description with an untethered socket, so check before buying another.

If you are choosing your own, pick tethered or untethered using the trade-offs above.