EV charging fault: usually the charger, not the car

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The car could not complete a charge, or stopped one it had started. Try a different cable and a different charge point before assuming the car is at fault. Most charging faults are not the car.

Can you keep driving?

Yes, but only on the charge the car already holds.

Electric car charging from a wallbox in a home garage

What the warning actually means

No current flows until the car and the charger have agreed, electronically, that the connection is sound. When that agreement fails or breaks off, the car shows a charging fault. A charge that is only slower than expected is a different thing, and not a fault.

Three electric cars charging: one from a domestic socket, one from a wallbox and one from a public charge point
Whatever the car is plugged into, nothing flows until car and charger have agreed the connection is sound.

Common causes

  • A damaged charging cable
  • A dirty or wet connector
  • A tripped supply
  • A charge point that failed its handshake with the car
  • A fault in the car, if it fails on two different chargers with two different cables

What to do now

  1. Try a different cable and a different charge point.
  2. Look at the cable and connector. Do not use a damaged cable, a cracked housing, or a charge point that has been flooded.
  3. Use the cable and equipment the manufacturer approves, never a household extension lead or an unapproved adapter.
  4. If the car fails on two chargers with two cables, have the car read.
An electric car charging at a roadside charge point in the evening
A second charge point with a second cable is the quickest way to tell the car from the charger.

What people often get wrong

That the car is the problem. A damaged cable, a dirty connector, a tripped supply or a charge point that failed its handshake all show the same warning, and each is far more common than a fault in the car.

When the car must go to a workshop

When it fails on two chargers with two cables, or if the charge port or any orange cabling is damaged. With damage, do not touch it and do not charge it: have it inspected.

Read next

This page is general information and does not replace a professional assessment. Symbols, codes and behaviour vary between makes. Always check the handbook for your own car.

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