If you’ve bought a new electric car you need these two accessories to give you proof of other driver bad behaviour and help you charge your car.
Type 2 to Type 2 Cable for Public AC Charging
When you’re in a hurry to recharge your electric car battery fast or on a road trip you’ll look for a fast DC 50kW or 350kW ultra fast DC charger, these have a cable built-in to plug into your car.
However at the car park of your local shopping mall, community centre etc you’re more likely to find a smaller AC charging station that requires you to bring your own Type 2 cable.
In the example photo above I’m using a 7m Type 2 to Type 2 EV Charging Cable (22kW, 32 amp) lent to me by EVSE, to charge a Kia Niro EV GT-line I had on loan for review.
You could get a shorter, cheaper 5m cable but I find the 7m is handy as you never know how far the charging station will be from your car charging port.
Slower cheaper cables are also available such as the Type 2 to Type 2 EV Charging Cable (7kW, 32amp) for cars like the BYD Atto 3 that don’t support 11kW AC charging.
I recommend buying your Type 2 to Type 2 cable from an Australian retailer so you have a good warranty and are supporting the local EV accessory industry.
Note: the advice above is for new electric cars. If you’re buying a pre-owned electric car, especially a Japanese brand (Nissan, Mitsubishi etc) check with the manufacturer which charging cables are compatible with that car.
A Dashcam Could Save You Thousands
Many drivers opt for a cheaper single forward facing dashcam like the Vantrue E1 Mini I reviewed recently, while those with more budget choose a more expensive comprehensive three camera setup like the VANTRUE Element 3 Chris reviewed a few days ago.
Either way it’s a very useful car accessory that quietly works away until you actually need it, then it can potentially save you a lot of money if you’re involved in an accident where the other driver makes a bad mistake or does something illegal. Like Chris said in his review:
Someone pulls out in front of you and you slam into their right-hand side? Well, now you’ve got video showing exactly what happened. Your insurance company might appreciate this, and it might support your claim that the other driver was at fault.
Note that Tesla cars come with Sentry mode, so you shouldn’t need a dashcam – it can automatically record motion detected near the car.
The primary purpose of Sentry Mode, isn’t the same primary purpose as what dashcams are used for.
Spot on.
The Tesla is also continuously recording, and if it detects an incident, will specifically save that video. The only real limitation is the 128GB USB stick – which can be replaced with an SSD.
A front dashcam, and a rear one, should really be the minimum setup a driver gets installed. On the YouTube channel, Dash Cam Owners Australia, there’s been far too many times the pending cause of an accident, or the accident itself, has been recorded by the rear cam.
Agreed
Jet Charge sell the 7m on sale right now for $284 vs $335. 22kW.
Good to know. Jetcharge is the other major reputable Aussie EV cable retailer.
Both EVSE and Jetcharge occasionally have sales
Received my 7m today. I was thinking about 10m but honestly don’t think I need 10. Definitely more than 5. I am going to reuse the cable for an untethered wall charger eventually.
Good plan. I forgot to mention that cable can also be used at home with untethered wallbox, for those lucky enough to have a home garage