What Is an Untethered EV Charger? A Guide for Homes & Businesses

Installing an EV charger? Before you choose a model, there’s one decision that catches almost everyone out:

tethered or untethered?

The difference may look small, but it has a big impact on the way people use your charger, whether that’s your family at home, employees at work, or visitors on your premises.

Get it right, and you’ll enjoy a cleaner look, more flexibility and a future-proof setup. Get it wrong, and it can create unnecessary hassle.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what an untethered EV charger is, how it compares to a tethered option, and which setup will work best for your home or business.

What is an untethered EV charger?

An untethered EV charger is a charge point that doesn’t have a permanently attached charging cable.

Instead, the charger has a socket on the front, and you plug in a separate cable that runs from the charger to your vehicle. That same cable can usually be used at public charging stations, too.

In Europe and the UK, most modern EVs use a Type 2 connector for AC charging, which has become the standard on both vehicles and charge points. This means an untethered charger with a Type 2 socket is compatible with the majority of EVs on the road today.

You may also see an untethered electric car charger described as:

• Socketed chargers
• Universal home/workplace chargers

All of these terms refer to the same idea: the cable is removable, not fixed to the wall box.

Tethered vs Untethered EV chargers: what’s the difference?

The difference comes down to how the cable is provided and used:

Tethered EV charger

• The tethered cable is permanently attached to the unit.
• You simply take the plug from the dock and connect it to your vehicle.
• When you’re done, you wrap or stow the cable back on or inside the charger.

Untethered EV charger

• The unit has a socket only, with no fixed cable.
• You plug your own charging cable into the charger and your vehicle.
• When finished, you unplug the cable and store it in your car, garage or on a separate hook.

Both options will safely charge your EV. When comparing tethered and untethered chargers, the real decision is about convenience, aesthetics, flexibility and how the charger will be used day-to-day.

Key benefits of an untethered EV charger

For many homes and business premises, untethered charging units offer a number of advantages.

1. Cleaner, more minimalist look

Without a permanently attached cable, an untethered charger typically looks smaller and tidier on the wall.

Benefits:

• No cable permanently hanging on the front of your property or building.
• Easier to blend into modern architecture or premium frontages (e.g. hotels, offices, high-end homes).
• Simple to keep neat, you only see a cable when it’s actually in use.

If visual impact matters, for example, at a boutique hotel, spa, or a residential development with design-led landscaping, untethered chargers can be a strong choice.

2. Flexibility and future-proofing

Because the cable isn’t fixed, you can:

• Change cable length (e.g. upgrade to a longer cable if you change how vehicles park).
• Swap the connector type in future if your vehicle mix changes.
• Replace a damaged cable without changing the whole charger.

With EV technology and connector standards evolving, having a socketed “universal” charger gives you more control over how the system adapts over time.

This is especially valuable for:

• Mixed vehicle environments (company car parks, residential developments).
• Landlords and developers are planning for long-term use.
• Businesses expect more EV visitors or fleet changes over time.

3. Often a lower upfront cost

Because there’s no built-in cable, untethered units are often slightly cheaper than their tethered equivalents.

If you already have a compatible cable (for example, supplied with your EV), you can:

• Use that cable with the new charger.
• Avoid paying twice, once for the charger and again for another cable bundled with it.

For projects with multiple charge points, such as workplace car parks, hotels or retail destinations, those savings can add up.

4. One cable, multiple locations

With an untethered charger, your portable cable can be:

• Used at home or on your business premises and
• Taken with you to public untethered charge points when travelling.

For drivers who regularly park in different locations, this can be more convenient than managing separate “home only” and “public only” cables.

Drawbacks of an untethered EV charger

Untethered chargers are not perfect for every situation. It’s important to understand the trade-offs.

1. “No cable, no charging”

With an untethered charger, you must have your cable to start a session.

That means:

• If the cable is left in another vehicle, office, or at a public charger, you can’t charge until you get it back.
• If multiple drivers share a space (for example, employees sharing a charging bay), cables can easily “walk” to different electric cars.

For single-user home driveways, this is usually easy to manage. For busier commercial sites, it needs a little more thought about how cables are stored and who is responsible.

2. Slightly less convenient for everyday use

With a tethered charger, the routine is simple: pick up the cable, plug in, and you’re done.

With an untethered charger, you typically:

1. Get the cable from your car or storage point.
2. Plug into the charger.
3. Plug into your EV.
4. When finished, unplug both ends and put the cable away.

This only adds a minute or so, but for high-turnover sites, such as busy retail car parks or sports venues, that friction can matter.

3. Cable storage and security

Because the cable is removable:

• It needs a safe, dry place to live when not in use (boot, locker, or wall-mounted hooks).
• On some sites, there can be concerns about cable theft or misplacement if cables are left out.

These issues can be managed with good design, for example, by providing lockable storage boxes or using site-owned cables that are checked regularly, but they’re worth factoring into your decision.

Is an untethered EV charger right for your home?

If you’re a homeowner (or managing residential property), deciding on a tethered or untethered charger starts by asking yourself:

How important is convenience vs appearance?

You prioritise convenience

• You want to plug in quickly at the end of a long day.
• You don’t want to think about where the cable is.
• You don’t mind the look of a visible cable on the wall.

A tethered charger may be more appealing.

You prioritise a clean look

• You care about kerb appeal and design.
• You’d like the unit to blend in with the exterior of your property.
• You’re happy to store the cable neatly in the garage or boot.

An untethered charger is often the better fit.

Do you expect to change vehicles soon?

If you’re likely to:

• Switch between different EV brands, or
• Have a second EV in the household with different requirements,

Then an untethered charger gives you more flexibility to change cables as your electric vehicle line-up evolves.

Will other people regularly use your charger?

If friends, family members, or tenants with different EVs will use the charger:

You’re not tied to a single cable length or connector chosen on day one.

An untethered unit with a Type 2 socket makes it easy for them to plug in with their own cable.

Is an untethered EV charger right for your business or commercial site?

For businesses, the decision between tethered and untethered isn’t just about preference, it’s about user experience, operational control and future-proofing.

When untethered chargers make sense for businesses

Untethered chargers can work especially well for:

• Workplace car parks
  Employees with company cars or personal EVs often have their own cables and are familiar with using them. Untethered chargers give flexibility as your fleet and staff vehicles change over time.
• Residential developments & build-to-rent schemes
  Residents bring their own vehicles, and cables. Socketed chargers in allocated bays or shared car parks can support different EV models without needing to update the hardware.
• Private fleet depots with standardised vehicles
  If you issue cables as part of your fleet pack, untethered chargers allow you to keep the wall-mounted hardware simple and swap cables as needed.
• Sites where aesthetics are key
  Hotels, golf clubs, spas, high-end offices and visitor attractions often favour minimalist chargers that don’t visually dominate the car park or entrance. An untethered design helps maintain a premium feel.

When tethered chargers might be better for businesses

In other cases, a tethered solution may be the more practical choice:

• Public or semi-public car parks (retail, leisure, roadside)
  Many drivers arrive without a cable or aren’t sure how to use their own. A tethered unit offers an experience closer to a petrol pump, pick up the cable and plug in.
• High-turnover sites
  Locations with short stays and rapid vehicle turnover benefit from the simplicity and speed of tethered charging.
• Where do you want to control all the equipment
  If you don’t want to rely on visitors bringing their own cable, tethered chargers ensure everything needed to charge is already on-site.

A mixed approach: tethered and untethered together

Many organisations benefit from a combination:

• Tethered chargers in visitor or short-stay bays
• Untethered chargers in staff, resident or long-stay bays

ZOLB EV can design a bespoke layout that balances convenience, aesthetics, cost and future flexibility across your entire site.

What about rapid and DC chargers?

For completeness, it’s worth noting that most rapid and ultra-rapid DC chargers in the UK are tethered by design, with heavy, high-power cables permanently fixed to the unit.

The tethered vs untethered decision is most relevant for AC fast chargers (often 7–22kW) found at homes, workplaces, hotels and destinations, exactly the kind of installations ZOLB EV designs and delivers.

How to decide: key questions to ask

Whether you’re planning a single charger at home or a larger rollout across your premises, it helps to review:

1. Who will use the charger? – Just you? Staff? Guests? The general public?
2. Will users reliably have their own cables? – Company car park vs public retail site.
3. How important is aesthetics? – High-end or design-led environments may favour untethered.
4. How often will vehicles charge? – Daily regular use vs occasional top-ups.
5. How often might vehicles change? – Fleet renewals, tenant turnover or evolving visitor profiles.
6. What’s your long-term strategy? – Are you likely to expand the number of chargers over time?

Your answers will help steer you towards untethered, tethered, or a combination of both.

Untethered or tethered, ZOLB EV can help

At ZOLB EV, we design, install and maintain smart AC and DC charging solutions for:

• Homes and residential developments
• Workplaces and offices
• Hotels and leisure destinations
• Retail and commercial sites
• Fleet and depot charging

Whether you decide that an untethered EV charger is the right choice, prefer a tethered setup, or want a hybrid approach, we’ll:

• Assess your site and power capacity
• Recommend the most suitable charger types and locations
• Integrate smart software and payment options where needed
• Ensure your installation is safe, compliant and future-ready

If you’re still unsure which option is best for your premises, our team can walk you through real-world examples from similar sites and build a tailored plan around your goals.

Ready to explore untethered or tethered EV chargers for your home or business? Get in touch with ZOLB EV today, and we’ll help you power a greener future, one charge at a time.