Why every modern EV here uses the same plug, what tethered versus socketed actually changes, and where imports go wrong.
One plug, defined by a standard
The Type 2 connector — originally the Mennekes design — is specified in IEC 62196-2. Australia adopted it as the standard AC charging connector, and the result is the rare situation where the plug on the wall works with essentially every new EV on sale.
Seven pins: two for the AC supply on single phase or three actives on three phase, neutral, earth, plus two small signal pins. Those signal pins are the interesting part.
The control pilot: why it is not just an extension cord
The control pilot pin carries a continuous conversation between the charger and the car, governed by IEC 61851-1:2017. The charger advertises how much current is available. The car responds with how much it will draw. Neither side energises the cable until both agree and the connector is confirmed latched.
The proximity pilot pin tells the system the plug is physically seated. Pull the plug mid-session and the current is cut before the power pins can separate.
That handshake is why a compliant EV charger is a safety device and a generic socket is not. It is also why cheap uncertified units are a genuinely bad idea: the handshake is exactly the part that gets cut to hit a price.
Tethered or socketed
Tethered means the cable is permanently attached to the wallbox. You walk up, unhook, plug in. It is the more pleasant daily experience, there is no cable to carry in the boot, and there is nothing to forget.
Socketed means the wallbox has a Type 2 socket and you bring your own cable. It is tidier on a wall, it suits shared and public installations where each driver brings their own lead, and a damaged cable is replaced rather than repaired into the unit.
For a home with one or two cars, tethered is usually the right answer. For strata, workplaces and anything semi-public, socketed is.
Where the confusion comes from
Type 1 is the older five-pin single-phase connector, found on early imports such as some Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV models. Single phase only, no three-phase capability.
CCS2 is Type 2 with two extra large DC pins below it, used for DC fast charging. A CCS2-equipped car takes your Type 2 AC cable in the upper section perfectly well — it is the same standard family, which is precisely the point of it.
CHAdeMO is a separate DC standard, largely Japanese, and it is fading from the Australian market. A CHAdeMO-only import is a problem worth understanding before purchase, not after.
Imports and adapters
Japanese and UK used imports are where this stops being simple. A Type 1 vehicle can be used with a Type 1 to Type 2 cable. A CHAdeMO-only vehicle has no AC path to speak of and needs a genuine strategy.
Adapters between AC standards exist and vary wildly in quality. An uncertified adapter sits directly in the current path of a device delivering 32 A for hours at a time, and that is not the place to save money.
Where it is technically sound, a charge port conversion is the cleaner outcome — the vehicle ends up with the connector the rest of the country uses. Our workshop assesses the vehicle and tells you honestly whether it is worth doing.
Key takeaways
- Type 2 to IEC 62196-2 is Australia's standard AC connector and works with essentially every new EV sold here
- The control pilot handshake under IEC 61851-1:2017 is what makes a charger a safety device rather than a socket
- Tethered suits homes; socketed suits strata, workplaces and shared installations
- CCS2 cars accept Type 2 AC; Type 1 and CHAdeMO imports need a cable, a conversion or a rethink