Apps like PlugShare and Chargemap let you filter by connector type and display whether each station is tethered or untethered, along with user-submitted photos and recent check-ins confirming current status. Most charge point operator apps (Allego, Fastned, Shell Recharge and others) also show this in the station detail view.

As a general rule, if you see a large, freestanding unit with thick connectors hanging from it, it is almost certainly a tethered DC rapid charger. Slimmer AC columns, particularly on-street posts or car park units, are more likely to be socket-only. Until checking apps becomes second nature, the safest habit is to keep a Type 2 cable in the boot regardless. The weight penalty is negligible and the inconvenience of arriving without one is not.