Some aftermarket electrical car (EV) charging cables pose a threat of overheating and electrical shocks for customers, an investigation by shopper champion and new automotive shopping for platform What Automotive? has discovered.

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

Every cable was subjected to 5 completely different Residual Present Gadget (RCD) checks. Two cables failed all 5 RCD checks, and one cable handed solely one of many checks. The RCD’s job is to modify off the electrical energy routinely if a fault is detected. If the system doesn’t react shortly sufficient or appropriately, there’s a critical threat 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 threat 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 had been designed to run at greater than 13 amps, whereas the plugs had been solely rated as much as 13 amps. Whereas this extra present is unlikely to blow a fuse, it’ll generate additional warmth and, over extended intervals, may make the plug get scorching sufficient to burn somebody. 

Visible checks had been carried out to evaluate the security 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 security rules that every gadget adhered to. All additionally had unclear labelling regarding their degree of water resistance. As these models are doubtless for use exterior, water resistance is a necessary security function. 

The cables had been purchased from two on-line marketplaces: Amazon and componentauthority.com. On-line third-party websites aren’t legally obliged to test the security of the merchandise they promote in the identical approach as excessive road retailers, so it may be simple for sellers to supply sub-standard merchandise through them. What Automotive? believes there must be stricter rules on the sale {of electrical} items, equivalent to EV charging cables, through on-line marketplaces.

What Automotive? knowledgeable the net retailers of its investigation. Amazon mentioned it had eliminated the charging cables from sale whereas it investigated What Automotive?’s findings, however componentauthority.com didn’t supply to take action.

What Automotive? shopper editor Claire Evans mentioned: “Our checks present how simple 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 consider stricter rules for third-party sellers are wanted. They need to test that merchandise meet the related requirements up entrance, fairly than retrospectively, following a criticism or investigation.”