Stuck charging cables in an electric vehicle have been a hot topic for quite some time. Even since the vehicles were first released, charging cables not coming out of the port – even by force – seems to have been an issue. Getting an EV charger stuck appears to be one of the most common problems among owners.
Figuring out how to unplug an electric car charger doesn’t need to be too much of a struggle, however. Since it’s something that can happen to almost any electric vehicle owner, it’s something you’ll need to know. It could end up being more useful than you’d think, especially once you – and your charger – end up stuck.
Ensure that your electric vehicle is unlocked
The first thing you should do is make sure that your EV is unlocked. The main reason for this is that, if your electric vehicle is locked, then it could be locking the cable into the car. In some cases, unsticking your EV charger from the vehicle could be as simple as getting this done. With this approach, it’s as simple as following a few particular steps.
Unlock your electric vehicle
Unlocking your electric vehicle is a straightforward process and simply involves putting your key into the car door and turning it. At this point, your EV should remain plugged in and charging.
Detach the EV charger from the car
Should your electric vehicle being locked be the reason for the EV charger being stuck, then you’ll now be able to remove it from the vehicle. You should detach the charger from the EV first, which should simply involve giving it a bit of a pull.
Unplug the EV charging cable from the charging port
Once you’ve unplugged the charging cable from the car, the pins will no longer be live. It’s now time to unplug the cable from the charging port, if appropriate. Doing this is as simple as it was with removing it from the car. All told, the process should only take a few minutes.
Push in before unplugging the EV charger
Sometimes, giving the charging cable a pull won’t be enough to unplug it from your car. In many of these cases, your EV charger isn’t actually stuck. Instead, it simply needs a push to unlock the charger before you can give it a pull and unplug it. You’ll usually need to do this in one swift motion for it to work.
What type of charging cable do you have?
There’ll be some cases where the above doesn’t work. If that happens, it can often be worth hiring a professional to help you with the situation. Figuring out how to unplug an electric car charger yourself in these situations doesn’t need to be difficult, however.
The type of EV charging cable you have is a significant factor in this, with both needing different approaches to address the situation. That’s primarily because there can be different reasons why either EV charger is stuck.
It’s worth diving into both of these to determine what approach needs to be taken.
Type 1 EV Charging Cable
Type 1 EV charging cables are usually used in home charging stations, making them the most common than type 2s in this department. Slimmer than their counterparts, they don’t need much maintenance, other than when they’re stuck.
How to unplug Type 1 charging cable
A type 1 EV charging cable gets stuck usually because of faulty actuators, with these locking the cable in place. You should first try to lock and unlock your EV with a key fob to see if it’s a glitch in the system. If it isn’t, try pressing the cable in and then pulling.
The last way to try to address this is to find the manual release, which is usually in the EV’s trunk. You can find this under the upholstery. Once pulled, this will unlock the EV charging cable.
Should that not work, then you may end up needing to contact a professional or the vehicle’s manufacturer to help you.
Type 2 EV Charging Cable
Type 2 EV charging cables are the most commonly used in the United Kingdom. If you’re having problems with your charger, then it’s likely this one. The main reason for this is their versatility, as they can come in various lengths, making them easy to install and setup in most locations. They charge at a lower capacity than their type 1 counterparts.
As they’re the most commonly used in the U.K., troubleshooting them shouldn’t be too much of a problem, with many of the ways to get your type 2 EV charger unstuck from your vehicle.
How to unplug Type 2 charging cable
When this kind of EV charger is stuck, it’s also typically down to failing locking actuators. While addressing this is relatively simple with a type 1 cable, it can be more complicated here. It doesn’t need to be too much of a hassle, however.
Because of this cable’s shape, its locking mechanism should be visible at the top of the socket. You should see a small latch pop out when the charging cable locks into place. If the actuator fails, this latch stays in place.
Perhaps the easiest way to address this is to use a screwdriver to manually press the lock back into place. Similar tools can also be used for this. When you’re doing this, don’t use too much force. That could break the latch, and fixing this could be costly.
A guide on how to unplug a stuck electric car charger by EV Solutions
Figuring out how to unplug an electric car charger when it’s in this position doesn’t need to be difficult, though. No matter what issue you’re dealing with, contacting the UK’s leading EV charging experts is recommended. With EV Solutions, rest assured that you’re in good hands.
Get in touch, and a member of our friendly team will be happy to discuss your case with you and determine how we can help.
