Tethered or Untethered?

Tethered or Untethered: Which option should I choose?

An untethered charging station has one or more sockets and no cables attached.

A tethered charging station has an EV cable permanently connected.  In some cases, the station will also have a socket allowing other cables to be attached, giving the best of both worlds.

Pros

  • EV charging cables are sometimes stolen, a tethered EV cable is permanently attached which makes theft much more difficult.
  • There is no risk of losing or misplacing your charging cable as it is fixed to the charging station.
  • It is much easier to simply plug in one-end of the cable each time.

Cons

  • If you accidentally leave the cable attached and drive off... there will be more damage caused to the charge point.
  • If you only have a tethered cable, then you won't be able to charge when out and about.

In summary, for the best flexibility and ease of use a tethered station with a socket to allow untethered use is always the best option.