“Charger with a lock” covers two different features, and for public use the distinction matters. On an untethered public post it usually means a socket lock: the station locks the driver’s cable in place for the session. On any shared charger it can instead mean access locking — no start until an authorised user identifies themselves. A specification that just says “with a lock” deserves one clarifying question before you buy against it.
Key Takeaways
- For public use, “with a lock” usually means a socket lock that holds the driver’s cable in the post during the session.
- It can also mean access locking — no charging until an authorised user authenticates.
- The car’s own connector lock is a third, different thing and is not a station feature.
- No EVDANCE listing states a connector or socket lock; treat it as a written-confirmation item for the exact model.
Meaning One: The Socket Lock on an Untethered Post
An untethered public charger has a socket instead of a fixed cable, so drivers plug in their own cable. That creates a problem a tethered unit never has: mid-session the cable sits loose between post and car, and on an unlocked socket anyone could pull it out — ending the session or walking off with the driver’s cable. The socket lock is the post’s answer. At session start the station mechanically holds the plug in the socket; at a proper end, it releases.
This is a feature of the station, not of the car or the cable. Our guide to how charging cables are locked and protected covers the wider family; this lock’s job is narrower — the session and the cable, while charging runs.
Three Locks That Get Confused
| Lock | What it holds | Who it protects | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socket lock (station side) | The driver’s cable plugged into an untethered post, for the session’s duration | The driver, whose cable cannot be pulled out or taken mid-session | Untethered public and shared posts |
| Connector lock (car side) | The connector seated in the car’s charge port during charging | The driver, against the session being interrupted at the car end | Built into many cars; releases with the car |
| Access lock | The charger itself — it will not start for an unauthorised user | The site owner, against unpaid or unapproved use | Any shared charger, via RFID or app |
The car-side row is the one most often mistaken for the first. That lock is the car’s; it says nothing about the post holding the other end, and it is not what a public specification means.
Meaning Two: Locked Against Unauthorised Use
The second meaning is about people, not cables. A charger “with a lock” for a workplace, car park or residents’ site often simply means it is locked by default: it delivers nothing until a driver authenticates by RFID card or app, so electricity goes only to approved users and every session is recorded. Our guide to RFID and user management for shared chargers covers how that check works. Nothing physical is being locked — the session is.
What EVDANCE Listings State — and What to Confirm
Stated plainly: no EVDANCE listing states a connector or socket lock, so do not read one into a product page. The access facts stated are RFID and app control on the EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox (tethered Type 2 cable, IP66), and RFID with OCPP 1.6J on the EV-AC03201T dual-connector station (two Type 2 connectors, up to 43 kW shared, IP54), whose 7-inch screen is a display, not a payment terminal. If a public project requires the post to lock the driver’s cable in session, close it as a written-confirmation line for the exact model before purchase — start from our commercial charging page or contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a socket lock stop cable theft completely?
It holds the cable for the length of a session — when an untethered cable is exposed at a public post. Outside a session the cable is back with the driver, so the lock covers the charging hours, not storage or the site as a whole.
My cable will not come out of a public post. Is that the lock?
Quite possibly: the socket typically releases when the session is ended properly from the car, app or card. If it still will not release, contact the operator shown on the post — never force a connector, which can damage plug and socket alike.
Is a lock required on public chargers?
No single answer: requirements come from the site’s specification or local rules, and vary by market. What matters is that the requirement names which lock it means — socket, access, or both — because suppliers read the same two words differently.
Related Reading
- Can EV Charging Cables Be Stolen? How to Lock and Protect Yours
- RFID and User Management for Shared EV Chargers
- What Is an RFID Card for EV Charging?
- How to Use a Public EV Charger (and How to Stop It)
