DC fast chargers always have a cable attached — that class never needs yours. Public AC posts come in both forms: tethered, with a cable of their own, and socket-only, where you plug in your own lead. No network-wide rule tells you which form a given post takes, but the post itself does: its shape on arrival, and its listing before you set out.
Key Takeaways
- DC fast chargers are always tethered; the open question only exists at AC posts.
- AC posts split by form: a visible cable or holster means tethered, a socket flap means bring your own lead.
- The network’s own listing — photos and connector wording — is the checkable record before you travel.
- If a journey depends on posts you cannot verify, carry the cable: that is the whole rule.
The Class That Is Always Tethered
A DC fast charger’s cable is part of the machine: thick, rated for DC current, on the fastest units liquid-cooled, and far too heavy to be a driver’s accessory. Every DC post you meet carries its own. The wider regional picture is set out in our guide to whether charging stations have cables; this article is about the individual post in front of you, and AC is where the two forms split.
AC Posts Come in Two Forms — Read the Shape
| What you see at the post | The form | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| A cable coiled on a holster, hook or wrap at the post’s side | Tethered | Nothing of your own — unclip the post’s cable and plug in |
| A flat front panel with a socket flap or cover, and nothing hanging | Socket-only | Your own charging lead, matched to your car’s inlet |
| A wallbox-style unit on a post or pedestal, cable wrapped around it | Tethered destination unit | Nothing — the venue’s cable is the tool |
| A bare pillar with a flap and a payment screen | Socket-only | Your own lead, every time |
Both forms serve the same cars at the same power; the difference is only who owns the cable. The home version of the choice is compared in our guide to tethered vs socketed wallbox chargers; at a public post you do not choose the form, only recognise it in time.
Check Before You Arrive
The network’s app or listing is the document of record for its own posts. Use it before the journey depends on the answer:
- Look at the listing photos. A cable on a holster or a bare socket flap is visible in most site photos — the form reads off the picture.
- Read the connector description. A listing that names a socket type, or says “bring your own cable”, is telling you the post is socket-only. Believe it.
- Treat silence as socket-only. If the listing says nothing about a cable, plan as if there is none. Carrying a lead you do not need costs a little boot space; arriving without one at a socket-only post costs the stop.
That is the driver’s rule in one line: if your journeys depend on AC posts whose form you cannot verify in advance, the cable lives in the car. Our guide to which EV charging cable you need covers choosing that lead, including its current rating.
Destination Chargers Follow the Same Split
Hotels, workplaces and car parks use the same two forms: a wallbox-style unit with its own lead, or a socket pillar waiting for yours. The recognition rule does not change — cable visible means tethered, flap means bring your own — and a venue that lists charging can usually say which form it installed. Its answer is the document for that stay.
The Form Is a Product Choice: Two EVDANCE Examples
Tethered or socketed is decided when a charger is specified, not by the network it ends up on. The EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallbox is listed with a Type 2 cable or a Type 2 socket — the same model in both forms, chosen at order time. At the tethered end, the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station carries two tethered Type 2 connectors, so a site choosing it has chosen the cable for every driver. Operators weighing the two forms for a site can start from our commercial EV charging page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Tesla Superchargers tethered?
Yes. Superchargers are DC fast chargers, and DC posts are always tethered — the cable is part of the station, on every network.
How can I tell from an app whether I need my own cable?
Check the listing’s photos and connector wording for that specific post. A visible cable or holster means tethered; a socket description means socket-only. If the listing is silent, carry your lead.
Is a socket-only post slower than a tethered one?
No. The form changes who supplies the cable, not the power. The post’s rating and your car’s acceptance set the rate, whichever side brought the lead.
Related Reading
- Do EV Charging Stations Have Cables?
- Tethered vs Socketed Wallbox Chargers: Which Should You Install?
- Which EV Charging Cable Do I Need?
- EV Charger Cable Length Guide: 5 m, 7.5 m or Longer?
