chargemaster unit - tethered or untethered?

[dreadnaught]

Hi All,

Just after some advice prior to having a Chargemaster unit installed on my driveway.
I've booked a 32Amp untethered.
Does it become a hassle to connect up everytime (get cable out of boot etc); am thinking tethered might be more user friendly...
thanks
Gareth

 

[maby]

I went for untethered. I guess it depends on a couple of factors - do you intend to use public chargers and where are you going to have the home charger installed?

The tethered chargers that I saw when we ordered ours stowed the cable when it was not in use with the plug located in the face plate. Since we were putting it on a wall on the side of a passageway, I didn't fancy having that plug sticking out all the time - waiting to be hit by someone walking past. At the time, I had visions of using public chargers - which would require me to have a cable in the car - so I chose the untethered charging point. As it happens, I never use public chargers and could have saved a hundred pounds by going for the tethered charger, but I still prefer the neatness of the untethered one.

 

[Ollycat]

We have tethered at home, then two cables in the car - one for Polar network, the other that came with the car for charging in the in-laws.

Yes - either way, having to connect it up every night when I get home is a pain - the cable is filthy from driveway muck and it seems to be raining all the time at the moment.

How long before we get wireless charging that involves ripping up the driveway for installation, and stopping anyone with a pacemaker from walking across it.....

 

[Bladevane]

The only benefit a 32A unit has over the 20A unit is future proofing. My Chargemaster installer told me the PHEV only takes 16 amps so it is a waste of money going for the 32A version purely to charge the PHEV. A tethered unit is probably more convenient for home charging but an untethered one with a Type 2 to Type 1 cable in the boot allows use of Type 2 units round the country.

 

[GrahamRC]

I've gone untethered. Have not yet used the cable away from home and now think I'm unlikely to, as no charge facility at work. I don't find the daily disconnect/connect a problem at all: by the time I would have coiled the cable and hung it on the charger I have opened the tailgate and chucked the cAble into the car. I have a gravel drive so the cable isn't getting dirty, just a bit damp of late! The only benefit I can see of tethered, besides the reduced installation cost, is it is a small deterrent to someone stealing the cable, but then my drive is fairly secluded/inconspicuous to passers by.

 

[Sharky]

The problem I found with the tethered unit was the cable length it came with. Just shy of 3m this meant the cable was stretched or unsupported, with a potential to flap against the car! So at the time of instillation I went for a untethered an got a separate 5m cable. I have a post somewhere on this forum with my arrangement for securing/locking the cable to the wall. My cable is left out on the drive in all weathers. I just unplug and drape the plug over the unit. I'm so glad I did go down this route because it lets me charge the car no mater which direction I park up! The only disadvantage is the plug end into the charger sticks out a bit, but can be unplugged if it is in the way.

Ps; it's a 32amp version.

 

[lg1726]

We went for the tethered version and bought a 'portable' cable to chuck in with the three-pin one which came with the car to give some flexibility when out and about and visiting relatives etc.

The rational for the tethered cable was that our drive is at the end of the garden and a reasonable distance from the house, despite a security light can still be dark and I really did not relish rummaging in the boot and locating the end of the cable in a howling gale (storm Henry last night!) and horizontal rain after dark! This means the cable is always just there and the light we have ensures that we can have sufficient light on the charging unit and the car flap to easily locate the cable and plug in, all in less than 30 seconds.

I suppose it just very depends on your specific set-up, but for me and our particular arrangement, the tethered version was a bit of a no-brainer!