A Type 1 charging cable is the cable used by a specific group of older electric vehicles — mainly the pre-2018 Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and Mitsubishi i-MiEV — to charge from AC power. It uses a five-pin connector standardised in SAE J1772, developed in North America and adopted by Japanese manufacturers for their early EV exports. Type 1 is a legacy standard in the UK; no new vehicles sold here use it. But a significant number are still on the road.
Type 1 at a glance: five pins, single-phase, legacy standard
| Attribute | Type 1 (SAE J1772) |
|---|---|
| Standard | SAE J1772 |
| Pin count | 5 |
| Phase | Single-phase only |
| Max power (32A, 230V) | 7.4kW |
| Connector shape | Round housing, ~43mm diameter |
| Latch mechanism | Manual thumb-button (no auto-lock) |
| UK public network | Requires Type 2 to Type 1 cable |
| UK market status | Legacy — pre-2018 imports only |
If you need to understand how Type 1 compares to Type 2 in detail — pin counts, standards, which cars use each — see our Type 1 vs Type 2 comparison.
Which cars in the UK use a Type 1 inlet?
Type 1 vehicles in the UK are concentrated in a small number of models, all from the early EV era of approximately 2011 to 2018. Knowing which cars they are saves a lot of confusion when buying secondhand.
The BMW i3 is Type 2. This is perhaps the single most repeated error in online guides to EV charging cables. Every BMW i3 — from the 2013 launch model through to the final 2022 variant — uses a Type 2 inlet as defined in IEC 62196-2. If you own an i3, you need a standard Type 2 to Type 2 cable and no adapter of any kind.
The Nissan Leaf is the most common Type 1 vehicle on UK roads. However, the Leaf model range spans both Type 1 and Type 2: the original 24kWh and 30kWh variants (broadly 2011–2017) use Type 1; the 40kWh and 62kWh Leaf launched from 2018 onwards uses Type 2. If you are buying a used Leaf, confirm the model year and check the charge port — do not assume. Our Nissan Leaf charging cable guide covers every Leaf variant.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has a long production run. Earlier UK models up to roughly 2019 use Type 1 for AC charging. If you own an Outlander PHEV and are unsure of the generation, check the charge port pin count. See our Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV charging cable guide for generation-by-generation detail.
What the five pins do (SAE J1772 pinout)
The SAE J1772 connector carries five pins, each with a specific function. Understanding them makes clear why Type 1 is single-phase only and how the charging handshake works.
L1 (Line / Hot) — the single AC power phase. This is the live conductor carrying AC current from the charger to the car. Type 1 has only one phase pin, which is the physical architecture that limits it to single-phase power.
N (Neutral) — the return path for AC current.
Earth / Ground — the safety earth conductor. If a fault routes current to the connector body, the earth path conducts it safely away rather than through the user.
CP (Control Pilot) — the communication pin. Identical in function to the CP pin in Type 2. The charger and car use CP to negotiate the session: the charger signals the maximum current available; the car confirms readiness; only then does the charger energise L1. Defined as part of the Mode 3 protocol in IEC 61851-1 (EV conductive charging system standard). Without CP communication, no power flows.
PP (Proximity Pilot) — the proximity detection and current rating pin. PP tells the charger that a cable is physically connected. It also carries a resistor value that signals the maximum rated current of the cable to the car’s onboard charger. When the cable is unplugged, PP signals the car to allow movement again.
The 7.4kW ceiling: why Type 1 is single-phase only
Type 1’s single-phase limitation comes from its architecture, not from any arbitrary restriction. SAE J1772 was designed for the North American and Japanese domestic supply — primarily 120V and 240V single-phase. The UK domestic supply is also single-phase (230V), so the practical maximum on a UK installation is the same.
At 32A on a 230V single-phase supply:
230V × 32A = 7,360W ≈ 7.4kW
This is the ceiling for any Type 1 vehicle on any charger, anywhere. Even at a 22kW three-phase public charger, a Type 1 car cannot exceed 7.4kW — and typically the car’s onboard charger is the actual limit, usually 3.3kW or 6.6kW depending on model. The charge point’s higher power capability is simply unused.
There is no workaround for this. The five-pin architecture has no L2 or L3 conductors. No cable upgrade changes the physics. Three-phase power requires three-phase conductors, and Type 1 does not have them.
No locking latch: how Type 1 connects differently from Type 2
Type 2 connectors lock into the car’s inlet electronically when charging begins — the car engages a latch via the CP pin, and the cable cannot be removed until the driver unlocks it via key, app, or button. This prevents the cable from being accidentally pulled out or stolen during a charging session.
Type 1 does not have this automatic locking mechanism. The SAE J1772 connector locks into the car’s inlet via a manual thumb button on the connector itself — press and hold to remove it. The car side does not electronically latch the cable.
In practice this means: - A Type 1 cable can be removed from the car by anyone without unlocking the vehicle - The driver can unplug without interaction from the car (no need to wake the car or use an app) - Theft of a Type 1 cable while charging is marginally easier than with Type 2
This is not a safety issue during charging — the CP pin still manages the power flow — but it is a practical difference worth knowing, particularly for on-street charging situations.
Using a Type 1 car on the UK public charging network
All public AC charge points in the UK use Type 2 sockets (if untethered) or tethered Type 2 cables. The Type 2 standard is mandatory for public AC infrastructure under IEC 62196-2. This means a Type 1 plug will not physically fit any UK public AC charge point socket.
To charge a Type 1 car on the UK public network, you need a Type 2 to Type 1 cable: - The Type 2 plug connects to the public charge point socket (or your home wallbox socket) - The Type 1 plug connects to your car’s inlet
This cable is the standard solution and behaves identically to a Type 1 to Type 1 cable would if the infrastructure existed to support it. Charging speed is limited by your car’s onboard charger (typically 3.3kW or 6.6kW) and the charge point’s rated output — not by the cable.
One caveat: tethered public charge points with a Type 2 cable attached cannot be used by Type 1 cars. If the charge point has a cable permanently attached (rather than a socket), and that cable has a Type 2 plug, it will not fit your Type 1 inlet. You need an untethered socket and your own Type 2 to Type 1 cable. The majority of UK public AC charge points are untethered (socket only), so this is manageable, but it is worth verifying before travelling to an unfamiliar site.
For a broader guide to which cable you need for any scenario — including granny cables, home wallboxes, and public charging — see which EV charging cable do I need.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Type 1 cable for my Nissan Leaf?
It depends on the model year. The pre-2018 Nissan Leaf (24kWh and 30kWh) uses a Type 1 AC inlet and needs a Type 2 to Type 1 cable for wallbox and public charging. The 2018-onwards Nissan Leaf uses a Type 2 inlet and takes a standard Type 2 to Type 2 cable. Check the charge port — five pins in a round housing is Type 1, seven pins in a D-shaped housing is Type 2.
What’s the maximum charging speed on a Type 1 cable?
7.4kW at 32A on a single-phase supply. Type 1 is single-phase only, so even at a 22kW three-phase charger, a Type 1 car charges at its onboard charger maximum — typically 3.3kW or 6.6kW depending on the model.
Why doesn’t Type 1 have a locking latch?
The SAE J1772 standard uses a manual thumb-button release on the connector handle — press it to unplug. There is no automatic locking from the car side, unlike Type 2 where the car electronically engages a latch via the CP pin during charging. This means a Type 1 cable can be unplugged from the car without the vehicle needing to release it.
Will my Type 1 car work with any UK public charger?
Not directly. UK public AC charge points all have Type 2 sockets. You need a Type 2 to Type 1 cable — the Type 2 plug goes into the public charger, the Type 1 plug goes into your car. This cable is the standard solution for Type 1 vehicles on the UK public network and is widely available.
Is Type 1 being phased out?
Effectively yes, for new vehicles. No EV sold new in the UK from 2018 onwards uses a Type 1 AC inlet. The public charging network is entirely Type 2. Type 1 remains relevant only for the used-EV market — primarily pre-2018 Nissan Leafs, early Outlander PHEVs, and a handful of other models.