If your workshop, bodyshop, or site has an IEC 60309 Commando socket on the wall, you may already have everything you need to charge a customer’s EV, or your own fleet vehicle, while it’s in for a service. You just need the right cable. Whether you have a blue 16A single-phase socket or a red 32A three-phase socket, there’s a Type 2 Commando cable that will work. The speed you get depends on which socket you have and what your car can accept.
What is an IEC 60309 Commando socket? (and why workshops have them)
The IEC 60309 standard defines a family of industrial round-pin plugs and sockets designed for robust, safe, and weatherproof electrical connections on commercial and industrial sites. If you’ve seen a chunky round socket (blue or red) bolted to a workshop wall, a generator gantry, or a construction site welfare unit, that is an IEC 60309 Commando socket.
The standard governs the pin arrangement, keying system, voltage and current ratings, and IP ingress-protection ratings of these connectors. Because plugs and sockets are keyed differently for each current and voltage combination, you cannot accidentally insert the wrong plug. That keying is why the IEC 60309 standard is trusted for site and industrial use.
Workshops and bodyshops have Commando sockets because they were installed for welders, compressors, or three-phase machinery. The same sockets now serve as capable EV charging points, as long as you have the right cable connecting the socket to your car’s Type 2 inlet.
Blue 16A vs Red 32A Commando: which socket do you have?
This is the single most important question before you buy a cable. The blue socket and the red socket are not interchangeable: they carry different voltages, different phase configurations, and the plugs are physically keyed so that a blue plug will not enter a red socket and vice versa.
- IEC 60309 Blue 16A: round, 3-pin, single-phase, keyway at 6 o'clock, rated 16A/240V; label Blue 16A, single phase, ~3.7kW. IEC 60309 Red 32A: round, 5-pin, three-phase, keyway at 4 o'clock, rated 32A/415V; label Red 32A, three phase, up to 22kW. Key: Not interchangeable, plugs won't fit wrong socket
Blue 16A socket: round, three pins, single-phase, 240V, keyway at 6 o’clock. Delivers a maximum of approximately 3.7 kW to an EV. Found on construction sites (often called an EHU, short for Electrical Hook-Up), caravan parks, welfare units, and older workshop buildings.
Red 32A socket: round, five pins, three-phase, 415V, keyway at 4 o’clock. Can deliver up to approximately 22 kW, though your car’s onboard charger determines the actual rate. Common in larger workshops, plant hire yards, and factories.
Count the pins and note the colour. That tells you which cable you need. See our comparison of 16A vs 32A EV charging cable and our full guide to Type 2 to Commando cable explained.
How fast will you charge? It depends on your car and socket
The table below gives the headline figures. All speeds are approximate and assume the car has enough remaining range to accept a full charge rate.
| Socket | Colour | Phase | Current | Max power | Miles/hr (approx) | Typical location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 60309 16A | Blue | Single | 16A | ~3.7 kW | ~13 mi/hr | Caravan sites, construction EHU |
| IEC 60309 32A | Red | Three | 32A | ~22 kW | ~60-70 mi/hr (if car has 3-phase) | Workshops, large sites |
| 13A BS 1363 | White | Single | 10A (EV) | ~2.3 kW | ~8 mi/hr | Home (granny) |
A car in for a four-hour service on a blue 16A socket picks up around 52 miles of range. On a red 32A socket with a three-phase-capable car, that same four hours could add over 240 miles, effectively a full charge for most vehicles.
- Blue 16A (all EVs) = 3.7kW ≈ 13 mi/hr | Red 32A + single-phase car = 7.4kW ≈ 25 mi/hr | Red 32A + 3-phase car (11kW) = 11kW ≈ 37 mi/hr | Red 32A + 3-phase car (22kW) = 22kW ≈ 65 mi/hr
The 3-phase onboard charger caveat: your car might cap at 7.4 kW on a red socket
A red 32A three-phase socket can supply up to 22 kW. But your car does not draw from the socket directly. It draws through its own onboard AC charger, which has a fixed maximum rate. If the car’s onboard charger is single-phase only, it will draw from just one of the three phases and cap out at around 7.4 kW, regardless of how powerful the socket is.
Cars that typically support three-phase AC charging (and can therefore approach 11 kW or 22 kW from a red socket) include many premium models: BMW i4 and iX, Audi e-tron, Mercedes EQ range, Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 6, and Volkswagen ID.4. Cars that are single-phase only include many MG models, the Nissan Leaf, and a number of older or entry-level EVs. On a red 32A socket, these cars will draw only one phase and max out at approximately 7.4 kW, still a useful workshop charging rate, but well short of the socket’s potential.
Always check the car’s specification sheet before quoting a customer a charge rate. The socket dictates the maximum available power; the car’s onboard charger dictates what is actually used. Even a single-phase car capped at 7.4 kW draws double the power of a blue 16A socket, so the red socket is still the better bay connection.
Workshop durability: why the cable matters as much as the socket
A standard domestic Type 2 cable is designed for home driveways. A workshop is a different environment: oil on the floor, grit dragged in by vehicles, water from pressure washers, and cables coiled and uncoiled daily. A domestic cable’s PVC sheath is not designed for this.
For trade and workshop use, we recommend cables with a rubber sheath rather than PVC or TPU. Rubber is significantly more resistant to abrasion from concrete and steel plate, oil and chemical contamination common in service bays, cold-weather stiffness, and impact from trolley jacks or vehicle tyres.
We also recommend a minimum IP55 rating on the Commando connector and cable assembly. Per the IEC 60309 standard, IP55 means protection against dust ingress sufficient to prevent harmful deposits, and protection against water jets from any direction, covering most workshop wash-down scenarios.
Not all cables sold as “Type 2 to Commando” are built to workshop grade. Our product listings specify sheath material, IP rating, and cable cross-section so you can match the cable to your environment.
Site EHU: the blue 16A on construction sites
On construction sites and civil engineering projects, blue 16A Commando sockets are almost universally referred to as EHU, or Electrical Hook-Up points. They power welfare unit heaters, battery chargers, and temporary lighting. The socket is physically identical to the blue 16A used on caravan parks, which is why a Type 2 to blue 16A cable works equally well at a caravan site and at a construction site hook-up point.
At 3.7 kW (~13 miles per hour), a blue 16A EHU is not a rapid charger, but it is very often the only power available on an active site, and it is entirely adequate for topping up a van or site vehicle overnight. Our EV charging cable for caravan and site EHU guide covers the blue 16A socket in detail, including cable length options and what to check before plugging in on an unfamiliar site.
VAT and trade invoicing: reclaim the cost
If you are purchasing an EV charging cable for use in your business (whether that’s a garage, bodyshop, fleet operator, or plant hire company) and you are VAT-registered, you can generally reclaim the VAT on that purchase as a business input, subject to your normal VAT recovery rules. For a cable used to charge business or customer vehicles, the VAT element is typically a straightforward business input. We provide a full VAT invoice with every order.
The net cost of a quality rubber-sheathed Type 2 to red 32A Commando cable, after VAT recovery, is lower than most trade buyers expect, and a fraction of the cost of a wallbox installation with a DNO application. It is a portable, multi-use solution that moves with the cable rather than staying fixed to one wall.
Which cable do you need?
Blue 16A Commando socket: you need a Type 2 to blue 16A Commando cable. Works with every EV that has a Type 2 inlet. Maximum charge rate: approximately 3.7 kW / 13 miles per hour.
Red 32A Commando socket: you need a Type 2 to red 32A Commando cable. The car’s onboard charger determines whether you get 7.4 kW, 11 kW, or 22 kW. Maximum possible rate: approximately 22 kW / 60-70 miles per hour, for cars with a full three-phase onboard charger.
If you have both: it is worth having one of each. The blue cable covers any car, any site. The red cable maximises speed for three-phase-capable vehicles in your main workshop bay.
All our Type 2 to Commando cables are available in lengths suited to workshop use (typically 5 m or 10 m), and trade orders ship with a VAT invoice as standard. Browse the full range on our Type 2 to Commando cables page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I charge any EV from a red 32A Commando socket?
Yes. Any EV with a Type 2 inlet (standard on virtually all UK-market EVs since 2014) can be charged from a red 32A three-phase Commando socket using a Type 2 to red 32A Commando cable. The variable is charging speed: a three-phase car may accept up to 22 kW, while a single-phase car will cap at around 7.4 kW.
Why is my car only charging at 7.4 kW from the red 32A socket?
The most likely reason is that your car has a single-phase onboard AC charger. A red 32A three-phase socket supplies power across three phases, but a single-phase car draws from only one, giving a ceiling of approximately 7.4 kW. Check your vehicle’s specification sheet under “AC charging”. If it lists a maximum of 7.4 kW, the car is single-phase only.
What is the difference between a blue and a red Commando socket?
Both are defined by the IEC 60309 standard, but they carry different electrical configurations. The blue 16A socket is single-phase, 240V, delivering approximately 3.7 kW. The red 32A socket is three-phase, 415V, and can deliver up to approximately 22 kW. The pins and keyways are physically different, so the plugs are not interchangeable: a blue 16A plug will not fit a red 32A socket.
Is the blue 16A Commando socket the same as a caravan EHU?
Yes. The blue 16A Commando socket used as an EHU on construction sites is the same socket type as defined in IEC 60309 for 16A single-phase use. A Type 2 to blue 16A Commando cable works at a caravan site EHU, a construction site hook-up point, and a fixed blue socket in a workshop. See our EV charging cable for caravan and site EHU guide for more detail.
Can I reclaim VAT on an EV charging cable for my workshop?
If your business is VAT-registered and the cable is purchased for business use, the VAT element is normally reclaimable as a business input tax, subject to your usual VAT recovery position. We issue a full VAT invoice with every order. Please consult your accountant for advice specific to your circumstances; this is general guidance only.