A Type 1 to Type 2 charging cable connects an older EV with a Type 1 inlet to a UK Type 2 charging point — every public AC charger, every modern Type 2 wallbox, every Type 2 untethered home charger. It's the cable for first-generation Nissan Leaf, original Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, first-gen BMW i3, Citroën C-Zero, Peugeot iOn, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, original Kia Soul EV, and a handful of other 2010-2018 EVs and PHEVs that used the Japanese-American Type 1 (J1772) connector.
Which cars need this cable?
Type 1 was the original AC charging connector used by Japanese-developed and US-developed EVs in the early 2010s. The European standard moved to Type 2 from 2014, but cars sold before that — and Japanese imports throughout — kept Type 1. UK Type 1 cars include:
- Nissan Leaf 2011-2017 (24 kWh and 30 kWh)
- Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Mk1 (2014-2018, before the facelift)
- BMW i3 2013-2017 (the original i3 — i3 from 2018 moved to Type 2)
- Citroën C-Zero / Peugeot iOn / Mitsubishi i-MiEV — these badge-engineered city EVs all share Type 1.
- Kia Soul EV 2014-2018 (first-gen — second-gen moved to Type 2)
- Renault Kangoo ZE first-gen (2011-2017)
- Volvo XC60 / V60 / S60 PHEV early models (2014-2016)
If you're not sure, check your car's charge port — Type 1 is round with five round pins arranged in a wider top arc and a wider tab; Type 2 is hexagonal with seven pins. Photos in the manual or a quick image search confirms.
Why a cable that swaps connectors at each end?
Public charge points and modern home wallboxes in the UK and Europe almost universally use Type 2 sockets (untethered chargers). Your Type 1 car needs a way to plug into a Type 2 socket — that's exactly what this cable does. Type 2 plug at one end (into the charger), Type 1 plug at the other (into the car).
Power rating: 16A or 32A?
- 16A (3.6kW) — fine for early Leafs, original Outlander PHEV, BMW i3. These cars cap their AC charging at 3.6kW so a higher-rated cable wouldn't go any faster.
- 32A (7.4kW) — useful for the few Type 1 cars with a 6.6kW or 7kW onboard charger (later BMW i3 with 7.4kW option, some Soul EV variants). Also forward-compatible if you ever swap in a higher-rated 7kW car.
If you're not sure, 32A single-phase is the safer default — it costs marginally more but works at any rate up to its limit; the car only draws what it can handle.
Length
5m is the practical minimum and works for most home wallbox setups where the charger is on the wall by where you park. 7m or 10m gives you flexibility for awkward driveways or public chargers where the bay layout doesn't put the inlet near the post. Public AC charge points often have the post on the kerb side and the EV's charge flap on the opposite — a longer cable saves you reversing in.
Build quality matters
Type 1 cables are a fading market — total UK Type 1 vehicle population is shrinking as Leafs and Outlanders age out. The cheap end of the market is risky: Chinese imports without IEC 62196-1 certification fail under continuous load. Look for:
- IEC 62196-1 / -2 certification on both connectors.
- IP44 minimum for outdoor use; IP55+ ideal.
- 2-3 year UK warranty from a UK seller.
- Genuine SAE J1772-2009 Type 1 moulding — it should click positively into the car port without play.
What about granny chargers for these cars?
Type 1 granny chargers (3-pin UK plug to Type 1) exist for these cars too — see the Type 1 charging cables collection. For dedicated home wallbox use, this Type 1 to Type 2 Mode 3 cable is the right product; for occasional 3-pin top-ups a granny charger is what you want.