13 amp socket, marked EV?

How about

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Your granny charger should have its own Type B RCD built in (30mA AC and

It should also have a temperature sensor in the mains plug, that will reduce or cut off the supply if the plug gets too hot.

Depending on your EV use, it might not be worth going for 13A charge rate over a 10A rate.

IIWY I’d set it to 10A, plug it in, and monitor the socket temperature. If it gets too warm for your liking then that would be the time to upgrade the socket.

Make sure the Socket's cable terminals are nice and tight, then it shouldn't get too warm?

Hager Sollysta sockets meet BS1363-2:2016+A1:2018/EV. Declaration of conformity:

I swapped in a WMSS81N socket in an outdoor enclosure whose original socket was not EV certified.

I'd definitely be wanting an RCD, although there can be problems with blinding of RCDs with DC currents. Type B is best but they're pricey. Type A (in the BG socket) in conjunction with other protection devices is next best. In neither case do you get PEN fault protection which you do from a full charge point installation.

I put in one of these:

Theo

Good idea!

Do you consider a UK socket to be tighter or less tight than a Schuko socket?

The cartridge fuses in the 13amp plugs, especially the fuse claps, seem to often be the cause of problems. Worth checking those are tight too.

Or get a Granny Charger with a 16A CEEE plug on it ?

Protect the 16A outlet with an MCB in a box ...

Harry makes a valid observation.

I’ve had a hybrid since 2017 and follow a couple of user groups. While I’ve not had any issues with either granny charger - the one which came with our Outlander in 2017 or our Rav 4 in 2023- I’ve noticed most, if not all ‘plug problems’ have reported as charring / burning around the Live pin area.

I suspect a poor connection leading to local heating around the fuse could be the cause of the charring some people see, the plug pin acting as a heat conductor.

Both my granny chargers were supplied new with the vehicles and seem to have decent quality ‘moulded’ plugs. I also use a metal clad socket on a radial circuit- originally installed for another purpose but never used. *

• I eventually did buy a welder but still haven’t found an excuse to use it 😂

Good to see you are still around Harry. I was wondering the other day where you were.

What happens if you are away (in the UK) and need to use a

Yes, but if that gets 'burnt up' after a few uses, just make up another one !

The IET Wiring Regulations (722.55.101.0.201.1i) specify that 13A UK sockets which are installed to charge an EV must comply with BS 1363-2 and be marked ‘EV’ on the back of the plate. The marking on the back is required to demonstrate that it meets the more demanding British Standard, including a cyclical load test. Please note that EV compliant sockets are only manufactured as a single gang; double sockets are not available.

To achieve the new standard, sockets are subject to more demanding tests than a standard outlet, to ensure that they can withstand the long term supply of the continuous 10A load of an EV charger.

Safety Precautions:

Please note that section 722 Electrical Vehicle Charging Installations of the IET Wiring Regulations details a number of additional requirements for socket outlets which are installed specifically to supply an EV. Additional requirements include the following, and for that reason should be left to an electrician:

Dedicated final circuit with over-current protection (e.g. you can't use or spur off an existing ring circuit).

Except where there is no possibility of confusion, a label shall be provided on the front face or adjacent to the socket-outlet or its enclosure stating: ‘Suitable for electric vehicle charging’.

Protection from a Type B RCD.

PEN protection device/detailed earthing requirements for certain types of supply

A quick google suggests For safety, especially on typical UK PME (TN-C-S) supplies, a granny charger (Portable EV Charger) needs protection against PEN (Protective Earth and Neutral) conductor faults, which standard wall sockets lack; without it, the car's chassis can become live if the neutral breaks, so dedicated chargers with built-in O-PEN detection or a TT (earth stake) conversion for the socket are recommended, as granny chargers themselves often don't have this crucial safety feature, leading some manufacturers to ban them for daily use.

How have we ended up, after almost 80 years of BS 1363 plugs and sockets, with products that can't even take 10 amps continuously ?

What happens BTW on the European Mainland, with those s***ty 16 A (apparently) Schukos and Grannys ?

They seem just as reliable. I have water heaters, induction hobs, microwave and oven on these without an issue. There are also country specific higher current plugs and sockets, so for Spain there is a 25amp often used for cookers so the old fashioned appliance with combined hob, oven and grill e.g.

.. also interestingly in Spanish one generally uses the word "enchufe" for both a plug and a socket...