Charging an electric car is simple, but it’s important to know how to safely unplug your electric car charger wherever you are – especially with the 57,290 EV charging points across the UK (Zap-Map).
In this blog, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth and safe experience when unplugging your electric car charger from your EV, in addition to providing tips and tricks for when the charger is stuck.
Any properly manufactured and regulatory compliant electric car chargers will a power button, screen, app or RFID card that can control your charging session (granny chargers not included). Use the relevant method to stop your EV charging if your session hasn’t already finished. Why? Because some electric cars won’t unlock until charging is finished – if they won’t unlock, you won’t be able to get your charging cable out of the socket.
Most electric car chargers feature a locking mechanism that secures the cable to the car when charging to stop others from removing the cable and ensuring a secure connection.
To release the locking mechanism on your electric vehicle, look for the release button on the charger handle, and press it. This will disengage the lock, allowing you to safely remove the cable. Make sure you close the EV charger door when you’ve finished.
Be aware that electric cars that use a Type 1 connector won’t lock in place while charging, meaning anyone can remove the cable from the charger if they so wish. While there are no regulations or laws about people unplugging electric car chargers it is surely frowned upon and goes against EV charging etiquette.
Don’t worry about charger theft or cable security, either; there are best practices you can follow to stop people from unplugging your electric car.
For certain home electric car chargers, there are specially designed cable lock features for untethered EV chargers, such as the Easee One and VCHRGD Seven. Make sure you have turned this off if you want to unplug the charger.
In some cases, electric car charging cables unlock as soon as the charging session has come to an end. If this is the case, please ignore step two and move on to step three.
Once the locking mechanism is released or turned off, gently grasp the plug by the handle and carefully pull it out of the charging port or ‘connector’ on your electric car. Be mindful not to yank or force the plug, as this can cause damage to both the electric vehicle and the charger.
After unplugging, it’s a good practice to stow the charging plug in a secure and clean location. Depending on whether you are using a tethered or untethered EV charger, you’ll have to put away the cable in the correct manner.
For untethered EV chargers, or ‘socketed’, make sure you remove the charging cable from both the car and the EV charger and place it in a dry, clean and secure area to maintain the condition of your charging cable. Good places include the boot of a car or a garage.
On the other hand, for tethered EV chargers (with the cable attached), make sure the cable is securely wrapped around the holster or storage area. You want to keep the area tidy and cable-free so as to not damage the cable by running over it – especially for public electric vehicle charging points.
Top tip – If you are struggling to remove the cable from the electric car charger and think the cable is stuck, make sure to unlock the car, or if it is still stuck, push the charging cable in harder than usual before pulling it out.
Some issues have been reported with the Hyundai charging cable. If the electric car cable is stuck, make sure you press the charging cable symbol on your steering wheel, as this will unlock the charging cable.
Unplugging your electric car charger is a straightforward process, but it’s essential to follow these steps to ensure the longevity of any EV charger and your electric car – whether it’s your home charger or a public charging point. To unplug your electric car charger, simply stop your charging session via the appropriate method (screen, button or RFID card), release the locking mechanism (if applicable), gently remove the plug, and properly stow it away somewhere dry and clean. By doing so, you’ll have a hassle-free experience every time you unplug your electric car charger.
Here’s a summary of how to unplug an electric car charger:
1. Stop your electric car charging: Use the power button, screen, app, or RFID card to stop the charging session if it hasn’t finished.
2. Release the locking mechanism: Find the release button on the charger handle to disengage the lock that secures the plug to the car.
3. Gently remove the electric car charging cable: Carefully pull the plug out of the charging port or connector on your electric car, avoiding yanking or forcing.
4. Stow the charging cable: For socketed or untethered chargers, remove the cable and store it in a clean, dry, and secure area. For tethered chargers, wrap the cable around the holster or designated storage area.
Tip – If the cable is stuck: Ensure the car is unlocked, or push the charging cable in before attempting to pull it out.
If you are thinking about getting a home EV charger installed to reap the benefits of faster, cheaper and smart EV charging, please get in touch with us for free, unbiased advice. We understand that getting an electric vehicle charger can be overwhelming, but we make every step of an EV charger installation simple, taking care of everything on your behalf to ensure a safe, efficient and compliant installation.
Contact us today at 03333 44 96 99, or fill in the contact us form below. With seven days a week support, including bank holidays, our UK-based customer service team is always available to assist you whenever you need us – before, during and after your installation.
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This type of electric charger has it's own cable to charge your car.
This type of electric charger requires a seperate cable to charge your car.
Spread over a 60 month period.
Tenants and homeowners are eligible for finance.
You decide the amount of months.
Minimum of £1000.
We will contact you to process the credit application. Approval is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. 13.9% APR representative. T&Cs apply.
Your order is not confirmed until your application has been approved.
We lay SWA cable laid at 600mm deep, with a protective cable warning tape laid 150mm above the cable. These are laid on a sand or sifted sand soil bed then backfilled.
We position overhead cables at a minimum height of 3.5m and are run along a catenary wire. The cable run should not be accessible to vehicles.
Standard Installation
Our instant price is fixed if it falls within our standard installation package plus any additions that you have selected (extra cabling for example). This package covers the majority of homes in the UK. Before we undertake your installation we will carry out a digital survey to check that nothing has been missed. After reviewing the survey results some additional work may be required in order to complete your installation safely and to the required standards. If this is the case, we will contact you well before the installation date and advise the cost of any required work. You can then continue with your installation, or alternatively we will refund you in full if you do not want to proceed.
Included in our standard installation is :
• Fitting of a single phase charge point to a brick or plaster wall or other suitable permanent structure
• Up to 10 metres of cable, run and neatly clipped to the wall between the electricity supply meter / distribution board and the charge point.
• Routing of the cable through a drilled hole in a wall up to 500mm (20 inches) thick if this is needed.
• The fitting and testing of electrical connections and protections required for the charge point.
• An additional three way consumer unit, if required
• Installation of a Type A RCBO in an RCBO enclosure
• Up to 3 metres of plastic trunking to conceal interior wiring.
• An O-pen earth protection device if the charge point requires it. (This is NOT an earth rod)
• Up to 4 hours of labour from your installer to complete the work.
• Electrical testing of the whole installation.
• Handover and setup of the charge point and any app that may be needed.
Not included in our standard installation (additional work) :
• Where the installation requires additional cabling over and above the amount you have told us about.
• Upgrade/replacement of the main incoming supply fuse where the local DNO (eg Northern Powergrid) would need to attend site.
• If the charge point is to be mounted on a post/pedestal rather than an existing wall and where you have not selected a post as an extra cost option in your order.
• Installation of a charge point to a three phase supply.
• Where gas and water mains bonding (earthing) is not in place at your property. If this is not in place, additional work would be required before installation of the charge point.
• Any groundwork that has not been selected during the order process.
A Surge Protection Device is not included in our standard installation.
What else you need to know :
• On the day of installation, please ensure that the area around your consumer unit (fuse box), incoming electricity supply meter and proposed charge point location (including where the cable is expected to be run) is clear and free of obstructions.
• We will need your WiFi password as part of the installation process in order to connect your charge point to the internet. Please have this available for the installer. Details will not be kept.
• The charge point must be on your own designated off road parking.
• The charger will be fixed in line with current guidelines at a height where it cannot be hit by a vehicle.
• Our installers are not able to enter loft spaces; lift floorboards or flooring; take apart any furniture of work above a height of 2m. If you anticipate that any of this may be required, then please contact us and we can discuss in more detail and provide you with a quotation.
• Should there be extreme weather conditions our installers may not be able to continue with you installation if it is not safe to do so (for example flooding). They will always do their best to complete the work where they can.
If you have any questions then please contact our customer service team who will be happy to help. Please also read our terms and conditions.
