Some aftermarket electrical car (EV) charging cables pose a danger of overheating and electrical shocks for customers, an investigation by client champion and new automobile shopping for platform What Automobile? has discovered.

What Automobile? purchased three ‘Mode 2’ chargers, which permit EV house owners to cost their car utilizing a three-pin home socket. They have been examined in {an electrical} laboratory and assessed for conformity with British and European security requirements.

Every cable was subjected to 5 totally different Residual Present Gadget (RCD) assessments. Two cables failed all 5 RCD assessments, and one cable handed solely one of many assessments. The RCD’s job is to change off the electrical energy routinely if a fault is detected. If the system doesn’t react rapidly sufficient or appropriately, there’s a critical danger of electrical shock to anybody utilizing it. 

The lab additionally examined every cable’s plug to make sure it fitted correctly right into a socket. If the connection isn’t adequate there’s a danger of it overheating, particularly if the cable is left plugged in for a lot of hours. Not one of the three plugs fitted into the socket securely. 

As well as, it was famous that each one three cables have been designed to run at greater than 13 amps, whereas the plugs have been solely rated as much as 13 amps. Whereas this extra present is unlikely to blow a fuse, it’s going to generate additional warmth and, over extended intervals, may make the plug get sizzling sufficient to burn somebody. 

Visible assessments have been carried out to evaluate the protection labelling and resistance to tampering. All three cables featured information panels on their management models, however the data was poorly worded and didn’t clearly state the protection laws that every machine adhered to. All additionally had unclear labelling referring to their stage of water resistance. As these models are possible for use outdoors, water resistance is a necessary security function. 

The cables have been purchased from two on-line marketplaces: Amazon and componentauthority.com. On-line third-party websites usually are not legally obliged to test the protection of the merchandise they promote in the identical approach as excessive road retailers, so it may be straightforward for sellers to supply sub-standard merchandise by way of them. What Automobile? believes there needs to be stricter laws on the sale {of electrical} items, similar to EV charging cables, by way of on-line marketplaces.

What Automobile? knowledgeable the web retailers of its investigation. Amazon stated it had eliminated the charging cables from sale whereas it investigated What Automobile?’s findings, however componentauthority.com didn’t provide to take action.

What Automobile? client editor Claire Evans stated: “Our assessments present how straightforward it’s to purchase unsafe EV charging cables on-line. Our investigation highlights the significance of selecting electrical merchandise with care and we suggest shopping for from respected excessive road or on-line retailers. We imagine stricter laws for third-party sellers are wanted. They need to test that merchandise meet the related requirements up entrance, slightly than retrospectively, following a grievance or investigation.”