MG ZS Charging Cable

The MG ZS EV brought a properly equipped family SUV within reach of drivers who had written off electric motoring as expensive, and it charges through a Type 2 inlet hidden behind the panel in the nose of the car. Depending on how you drive it, the ZS will cover up to around 160 miles between charges, which puts it in the same conversation as the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona of the same era.

MG shipped the car with an 8m Type 2 lead as standard and a three-pin cable alongside it. Cables get lost, borrowed, driven over and stolen, so a second one lives in most ZS boots.

Which MG ZS charging cable should you buy?

For the overwhelming majority of owners, a single-phase 32A Type 2 to Type 2 lead. That gives you 6.6kW, which is as fast as the ZS EV will take AC power, so a heavier cable buys you nothing at all. Paired with a home charging station, expect a full battery in roughly six and a half hours.

One thing to check before you order: not every wall unit runs at 32A. Some older installations are capped lower, and if yours is one of them there is no benefit in paying for the higher rating. A look at the charger's rating plate or its paperwork settles it in a minute.

Our Type 2 leads are built to the following specification:

• Type 2 to Type 2 or Type 2 to 3-pin, IEC 62196-2 (Type 2 / MENNEKES), 7-pin
• 16A or 32A, single and three-phase, rated 3.6kW, 7.2kW or 22kW
• 2.5-6mm² copper conductors, sized by current rating
• IP55 weatherproofing, run-over proof construction
• Rated from -30°C to +60°C
• Available in 5m, 10m, 15m and 20m
• CE marked and TÜV certified
• 24 month manufacturer warranty

How long a cable?

Measure before you guess. A 5m lead is fine when the charge point is on the wall you park beside, and it is lighter to coil and easier to store. Move up to 10m if the unit sits round the other side of the car, if you share a driveway, or if you use public bays where the post is never quite where you would like it. We also stock 15m and 20m for awkward parking arrangements, though the extra copper does make the cable heavier to handle.

Keeping your cable where you left it

If your charge point sits out of sight down the side of the house, the cable is an easy target. The single most effective habit is also the dullest: bring it indoors when you are not using it. Plenty of owners leave a lead coiled on the drive because they were in a rush one morning and never got round to moving it. Store it somewhere dry, locked and out of view, and most of the risk goes away.

Wallbox or three-pin?

If you already have a charging station fitted, a Type 2 to Type 2 lead plugs into the unit at one end and the car at the other, and that is the whole job. If you do not, a portable charger with a three-pin plug lets you draw from an ordinary household socket instead. We would point you at a Type 2 to 3-pin lead in that case: EV connector at the car end, standard plug at the wall.

Be realistic about what a domestic socket can do, though. Household wiring was never designed to deliver a high current continuously for hours on end, which is why we treat three-pin charging as a backup rather than a daily routine. Use equipment built and rated specifically for the job, follow the manufacturer's instructions, and if the socket or its wiring is old or in poor condition, have an electrician look at it first. For regular charging, a dedicated charging station is both safer and considerably quicker.

Browse the range in our Type 2 charging cables collection, or see everything we stock across EV charging cables. Order before 4pm for same-day dispatch, and UK delivery is free on orders over £150.

Other MG fitments are grouped on our MG charging cables page.