Published November 2025 · Updated 25/09/2026 · By Voldt® product team
At a glance
7,4 kW
the Type 1 maximum, and the limit of most UK homes on either plug
22 kW
Type 2 at a three-phase post, if the car takes it
5 or 7 pins
Type 1 has five, Type 2 seven
You need
A cable with Type 2 at the post end, your car's plug at the other
Never
Stack adapters or force a plug in
Type 1 and Type 2 are the two AC charging plugs on UK electric cars. Type 1 has five pins and runs on one phase, up to 7,4 kW; Type 2 has seven pins, runs on one or three phases and reaches 22 kW at public posts. Which one your car has decides the cable you buy.
Below you will find how to tell them apart, whether the plug changes your charging speed, how to charge a Type 1 car at a public post, and what rapid charging uses.
Key points
| Question | Short answer |
| What is the difference? | Five pins, one phase, 7,4 kW against seven pins, three phases, 22 kW. |
| Which one does my car have? | Count the inlet's pins. Type 1 is on older Japanese models. |
| Is Type 2 faster? | Only at three-phase posts, for cars that take over 7,4 kW. |
| Can a Type 1 car use public posts? | Yes, with a Type 2 to Type 1 cable. See the steps below. |
| Which plug does rapid charging use? | CCS2 or CHAdeMO, on the charger's own cable. |
How do you tell Type 1 from Type 2?
Count the pins: five and a latch for Type 1, seven and a flat top for Type 2.
Type 1, standardised as SAE J1772, was designed for North America, where homes are supplied with a single phase. Outside the US it arrived mainly on Japanese cars, which is why the UK examples are almost all early Nissans and Mitsubishis: the first Nissan Leaf (2011 to 2017), the Mitsubishi i-MiEV with its Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero twins, and older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs. The second-generation Leaf moved to Type 2 in 2018.
Type 2, standardised as IEC 62196-2, carries one or three phases, which suits European grids and public charging. In the UK, public AC charge points installed or renewed since 17 November 2017 must offer it (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017). A Type 2 car can therefore use UK public AC posts with the right cable, and a Type 1 car needs a cable that bridges the two.
The quickest check is the inlet itself: open the flap and count. The handbook confirms it, and so does the plug on the cable that came with the car. When buying used, look at the inlet before anything else and ask whether a Type 2 to Type 1 cable comes with the car, because a Type 1 car cannot use a post with a Type 2 socket without one.
The pins, counted
Type 1
3 power pins, 2 signal pins
Type 2
5 power pins, 2 signal pins
Power and earth
Signal: car and charger agree first
Does the plug change your charging speed?
Rarely: at a UK home both plugs top out at 7,4 kW.
Most UK homes have a single-phase supply, and one phase at 32 A delivers 7,4 kW. That is the ceiling of a home wallbox whichever plug the car uses, so a Type 1 car and a Type 2 car with the same onboard charger fill up at the same rate on the same driveway.
The onboard charger sets the rest. A car rated at 7,4 kW charges at 7,4 kW on a 22 kW public post, and one rated at 11 kW takes 11 kW. Type 2 pulls ahead only at three-phase posts, for cars whose onboard charger can use more than one phase; Type 1 cannot follow there, because it carries a single phase.
A 16 A cable caps any car at 3,7 kW, which is fine for cars with a 3,6 kW onboard charger and slows down anything faster. A 32 A cable carries up to 7,4 kW, and the car draws only what its onboard charger accepts, so the higher rating is safe.
Power, phase by phase
Type 1, anywhere
7,4 kW
1 phase × 7,4 kW
Type 2 at a three-phase post
22 kW
3 phases × 7,4 kW, with a 22 kW onboard charger
Each segment is one phase at 32 A: 7,4 kW. At a UK home, on a single-phase supply, both plugs fill one segment.
Voldt® tip
Check your main fuse: one fuse means single-phase, three mean three-phase (UK Power Networks). With one, 7,4 kW is your home ceiling whatever cable you buy.
How do you charge a Type 1 car at a public post?
Bring a Type 2 to Type 1 cable: the Type 2 end goes into the post, the Type 1 end into the car.
At a post with a Type 2 socket you bring the cable, and for a Type 1 car that means one with a Type 2 plug at one end and a Type 1 plug at the other. Voldt® makes Type 1 to Type 2 cables in 16 A and 32 A versions. The 32 A version covers the fastest Type 1 cars, and slower ones simply draw less.
Some posts have their own tethered Type 2 cable instead of a socket. There, a Type 2 to Type 1 adapter goes between the post's cable and your car. Check the car's handbook before you use one.
At home the same logic applies. A tethered wallbox ends in a fixed plug, so a Type 1 car needs one with a Type 1 tether; an untethered wallbox has a Type 2 socket and works with the cable you already carry. Measure from the charge point to your inlet and add a margin, because a cable pulled tight wears at the connectors.
Step by step
Pick the current
32 A covers the fastest Type 1 cars; slower ones draw less.
Type 2 end into the post
The socket locks it while charging.
Type 1 end into the car
Push until the latch clicks.
Start the session
App, card or contactless reader.
Voldt® tip
The first Leaf's charge port is in the nose: where the post heads the bay, drive in forwards and a short cable reaches.
What about rapid charging?
Rapid chargers have their own tethered cable: CCS2 for Type 2 cars, CHAdeMO for Type 1 cars that rapid charge.
CCS2 is a Type 2 inlet with two DC pins added below, so a modern car takes AC and rapid charging through one inlet. New public rapid chargers in the UK must offer it (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017).
Type 1 cars that rapid charge, such as the first Leaf and the Outlander PHEV, use a separate CHAdeMO socket beside the Type 1 inlet. Either way the cable stays attached to the charger: there is no rapid cable to buy, and the cable you carry is always an AC one.
Our verdict
Type 2 is the standard in the UK and across Europe, so a Type 2 cable is the right choice for almost every driver. Consider Type 1 only if your car was built for a market outside Europe, where Type 1 is common: older Japanese models and imports from North America. At home the plug makes no difference to your speed.
Buy a Type 1 cable if your car has a Type 1 socket, such as the first Nissan Leaf or a North American import
Skip Type 1 if your car has a Type 2 socket: choose a Type 2 cable instead
Voldt® Type 2 cables
Type 2 charging cable, 11 kW
Three-phase, 16 A · 2 to 40 m
Right for cars that charge at up to 11 kW, at home and at public posts.
Type 2 charging cable, 22 kW
Three-phase, 32 A · 2 to 40 m
Works with any Type 2 car and allows up to 22 kW at a three-phase post.
CE, UKCA and TÜV certified · IP67 · 3-year warranty · 100-day returns
Voldt® product team, product development and support
Develops Voldt® charging cables and answers the questions that reach Voldt® support.
Frequently asked questions about Type 1 and Type 2
Can a Type 2 cable charge a Type 1 car?+
No. A Type 1 inlet only takes a Type 1 plug, so you need a Type 2 to Type 1 cable, or an adapter at posts with a tethered cable.
Is a 32 A cable safe on a 3,6 kW car?+
Yes. The car draws only what its onboard charger accepts; the higher rating is headroom.
Does a three-phase cable work on a single-phase car?+
Yes, at the car's single-phase maximum. A single-phase cable on a three-phase car, on the other hand, caps it at 7,4 kW.
Can I swap a Type 1 inlet for Type 2?+
Ask a dealer first: it changes the car's charging system. For most drivers a Type 2 to Type 1 cable does the same job without touching the car.
Is a used Type 1 car hard to charge?+
No. With a Type 2 to Type 1 cable it charges at UK public AC posts, and at home any wallbox with a Type 1 tether or a socket works.
What should the cable be certified to?+
CE and UKCA marking, plus independent testing such as TÜV. Voldt® cables carry all three, are rated IP67 and come with a 3-year warranty.