Type 1 and Type 2 are the two main plug types for connecting an electric car to a charger. For most drivers in the UK today, the answer is Type 2.
It’s been the standard fitted to home chargers and public charge points here for years. The vast majority of EVs sold in the UK, Tesla, Nissan, Kia, BMW, pretty much anything from a European or Korean manufacturer, come with a Type 2 inlet as standard.
Type 1 hasn’t vanished completely. Import a car from the US or Japan, or drive an older EV from a manufacturer that used to fit Type 1, and this is worth understanding before you book an installation. We had a customer last year with a 2013 Nissan Leaf brought in from Japan. The charger he’d already bought online had a tethered Type 2 cable, and his car only took Type 1. It’s an easy mistake to make if nobody checks the port first, and it’s more common with second hand imports than most people expect.
Below is what actually separates the two, why the UK settled on Type 2, and how to check which one your own car needs.
What Is a Type 1 Connector?
Type 1 is a five pin connector, originally developed in the US and picked up early on by a handful of Asian manufacturers. Nissan and Mitsubishi both used it in their first generation EVs.
It’s a single phase connector. That means it draws power from only one of the three phases in a standard electricity supply, not all three at once, which puts a ceiling on charging speed even when the charger itself could technically go faster. Most Type 1 vehicles top out around 7.4kW on a home charger.
There’s no built in locking mechanism either, the way Type 2 has. Older Type 1 setups tend to rely on the car’s own port to hold the cable in place instead.
What Is a Type 2 Connector?
Type 2 is a seven pin connector developed in Europe, and it’s now the mandated standard for new EV charge points across the UK and EU. It supports three phase power, so it can hit considerably higher charging speeds where the supply allows, up to 22kW in some setups.
Most UK homes only have a single phase supply though. So in practice, you’re still looking at around 7.4kW at home whichever connector your car has.
One genuine advantage Type 2 has is the built in lock. Plug in, start charging, and the cable can’t be pulled out until the session ends or you unlock it through the app or the car itself. Useful if your charger sits somewhere reasonably accessible, a driveway, a shared parking bay, anywhere someone could walk past and yank the cable.
Type 1 vs Type 2 at a Glance
| Feature | Type 1 | Type 2 |
| Pins | 5 | 7 |
| Phase support | Single phase only | Single or three phase |
| Max home charging speed | Around 7.4kW | Up to 22kW where supply allows |
| Locking mechanism | Not standard | Built in |
| UK standard | Legacy, mostly imports | Current standard |
| Common on | Early Nissan Leaf, US and Japanese imports | Nearly all EVs sold new in the UK and EU |
Why Did the UK End Up With Type 2 as Standard?
In 2014, the EU mandated Type 2 for public charging infrastructure. The UK stuck with it even after leaving the EU.
Staying aligned with the connector already fitted across European vehicles and charging networks made more sense than diverging for its own sake. Three phase capability mattered too, since it leaves room for faster charging as home electrical supplies and public infrastructure develop further.
Manufacturers followed fairly quickly once the direction was clear. Nissan switched the Leaf over to Type 2 for later models, dropping the Type 1 it launched with. Today, Type 1 mostly comes up with older cars, or ones imported from outside Europe.
How Do I Know Which One My Car Needs?
Check the charging port directly, or the manual, or the manufacturer’s spec sheet if you’re not sure what you’re looking at.
Bought new in the UK or Europe within the last several years? Almost certainly Type 2. An import from the US, Canada, or Japan, or an early generation EV from around 2011 to 2014? There’s a real chance it’s Type 1.
Our guide on types of EV charging explained covers the wider landscape beyond just the connector question, and how EV chargers actually work is worth a read if you’re still fairly new to EV charging generally.
What Happens if the Connector Gets Ordered Wrong?
This is where people actually get caught out, more than they expect.
Order a charger without checking the car’s connector first, and there’s a real chance the unit that turns up doesn’t match. We check this during every survey before anything’s ordered, but it still happens when someone’s bought a charger online themselves and just asked for it to be fitted.
The fix usually isn’t dramatic. A Type 2 to Type 1 cable solves a Type 2 charger paired with a Type 1 car, no need to swap the whole unit. It only becomes a real problem when nobody catches the mismatch until installation day, which is why we confirm the connector upfront rather than assuming.
Does the Connector Type Affect Which Home Charger I Need?
Yes. Most home chargers sold in the UK now come with a tethered Type 2 cable, or a Type 2 socket you plug your own cable into.
Got a Type 1 car? You’ll need either a charger with a Type 1 tethered cable specifically, increasingly rare these days, or a Type 2 to Type 1 cable kept with the car and used alongside a standard Type 2 socketed charger.
Our comparison of tethered versus untethered EV chargers goes into more detail, and our EV charging cables explained guide covers the cable side separately from the socket on the wall. If you’re not sure which setup fits your car, our team can talk it through with you before anything’s installed.
Can a Type 1 Car Use a Type 2 Public Charger?
Yes, with the right cable in hand.
Most public rapid and fast chargers in the UK are fitted with Type 2 connectors now. A Type 1 vehicle needs a Type 2 to Type 1 cable to use them, since the car’s own port only accepts a Type 1 plug. Drive a Type 1 car and it’s genuinely worth keeping one of these cables in the boot permanently, since public infrastructure has moved almost entirely to Type 2.
Does This Affect Charging Speed at Home?
Less than you’d think, for most UK homes.
The vast majority of properties run on a single phase supply, which caps home charging around 7.4kW regardless of connector type. The real difference shows up on three phase supplies, more common in commercial settings or newer builds than standard homes, and on public rapid chargers, where Type 2 and the newer CCS standard both outpace what Type 1 can manage.
Want to know what speed your home setup can actually support? Our guide on 3kW vs 7kW vs 22kW home EV chargers breaks that down properly.
Getting a Home Charger Installed Across London
We install home EV chargers across London, and connector type is one of the first things we confirm during a survey, particularly for customers with imported or older vehicles where Type 1 is a genuine possibility.
We cover installations across Barnet, Croydon, Ealing, Richmond upon Thames, Watford, Westminster, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Tower Hamlets, Sutton and Brent. Full details on what a home install actually involves live on our home EV charger installation page.
What About Workplace and Commercial Chargers?
Connector type matters just as much away from home, arguably more.
Installing chargers for staff or visitors means getting the right mix of Type 2 sockets and tethered cables sorted from the start, especially where the vehicles using them aren’t all the same make and model. Our workplace EV charger installation page covers what we typically recommend for office and staff car parks, and our commercial EV charger installation page covers larger installs across London.
Is One Connector Type Safer Than the Other?
No. Both meet the relevant international safety standards, and neither carries more risk than the other when installed and used properly.
The differences here are about speed, phase support, and locking. Safety isn’t really part of the comparison.
Will Type 1 Eventually Disappear From UK Roads?
Given enough time, yes. No new vehicles are being sold with Type 1 connectors in this market anymore.
It’ll stick around as long as older and imported Type 1 cars are still on the road, which could be years yet. Every new EV coming into the UK now uses Type 2, so the gap keeps narrowing on its own.
EV Charger Type 1 and Type 2 FAQs
Can I convert a Type 1 car to use Type 2 permanently?
No. The connector’s fixed to the vehicle’s onboard charging hardware. A Type 2 to Type 1 cable lets a Type 1 car use Type 2 infrastructure without any conversion.
Is Type 2 always faster than Type 1?
Not automatically. Home charging on a single phase UK supply is usually capped around 7.4kW either way. Type 2’s speed advantage shows up on three phase supplies and public rapid chargers, not typical home setups.
Do I need a specific cable if my car is Type 1?
Yes. A Type 2 socketed home charger or a Type 2 public charge point needs a Type 2 to Type 1 cable, since the plug ends have to match the socket on each end.
Which connector type does Tesla use in the UK?
UK spec Teslas use Type 2 for AC charging, same as the rest of the market. They use their own proprietary connector for Supercharger DC charging.
Is Type 1 cheaper to install at home?
Not really. Most home chargers now default to Type 2 sockets or tethered cables regardless of price point, so a Type 1 specific setup can end up more limited in choice rather than cheaper.
Can a Type 2 charger be fitted with a Type 1 tethered cable instead?
Possible with some models, though far less common now given how few new Type 1 vehicles exist. Worth checking with us directly if this is what your car needs.
Does connector type affect EV charger installation cost?
Not much on its own. Our EV charger installation cost page covers what actually drives pricing, and connector type is a small factor next to cable run length or electrical upgrades.
How do I check what connector my car has without digging out the manual?
Look at the port itself. Type 1 has five pins in an asymmetric layout. Type 2 has seven, arranged differently, with a visibly different overall shape. Still not sure? Send us a photo before your survey.
Are there any UK grants that depend on connector type?
Generally no. Grant eligibility usually comes down to property type and installation circumstances, not which connector the vehicle uses. Our EV charger grants page covers what’s currently available.
Can I charge a Type 1 car on a rapid charger?
Yes, with a compatible connection or adapter cable. Worth knowing that a lot of the fastest DC rapid chargers actually use CCS or CHAdeMO connectors rather than AC Type 1 or Type 2, which is a slightly different question from the AC comparison here.
Does my choice of connector affect the car’s resale value?
A little, indirectly. Buyers increasingly expect Type 2 as standard, and some won’t realise an adapter cable solves the compatibility question just as easily, so a Type 1 car can be a marginally harder sell.
Why does my car have a different connector to my neighbour’s, bought around the same time?
Usually down to where each car was originally sold. A UK market car and an imported Japanese or American one from the same year can easily carry different connectors, since each region standardised at its own point.
Book a Survey for Your London Installation
Not sure which connector your car needs? Get in touch through our contact page or request a quote, and we’ll confirm exactly what setup suits your vehicle before any work goes ahead.
