Portable EV Chargers (Granny Chargers)
Charge your EV or plug-in hybrid from any UK 3-pin socket, anywhere, with nothing to install. 2.3kW charging adds around 8 to 10 miles of range an hour: plenty overnight.
From £1195m to 15m cables
The range: Cord Lite and Cord Plus
Same 2.3kW charging and the same safety hardware in every unit. The Cord Plus adds a programmable LCD and a 3 year warranty.
Cord Lite
Cord Lite 5m portable granny charger
The essentials done properly: 2.3kW Type 2 charging from any 3-pin socket, with a 5m cable.
£119
1 year warranty
View charger
Cord Lite
Cord Lite 10m portable granny charger
The same charger with a 10m reach for driveways and on-street parking near the house.
£139
1 year warranty
View charger
Cord Lite
Cord Lite 15m portable granny charger
Maximum reach: 15m for when the socket and the car are nowhere near each other.
£159
1 year warranty
View charger
Cord Plus
Cord Plus 5m portable granny charger
Adds the programmable LCD: delay the start by up to 8 hours, set a kWh target, choose 6A, 8A or 10A.
£139
3 year warranty
View charger
Cord Plus
Cord Plus 10m portable granny charger
The most popular pick: LCD programmability with a 10m reach.
£159
3 year warranty
View charger
Cord Plus
Cord Plus 15m portable granny charger
Full 15m reach plus the LCD: the do-anything portable charger.
£189
3 year warranty
View charger
Driving an older vehicle with a Type 1 socket? See our Type 1 portable charger for older vehicles.
Cord Lite or Cord Plus?
A portable EV charger, better known as a granny charger, plugs a Type 2 connector into any standard UK 3-pin socket, so you can charge anywhere there's a wall socket: at home, at a relative's, at a holiday cottage. They suit occasional charging, plug-in hybrids, second cars, and travel or emergency use, with no installation needed. Both our ranges share the same charging and safety hardware, so the choice comes down to control.
Cord Lite: plug in and go
The same charging hardware and the same safety protections as the Plus, without the screen. Plug it in and it charges at 2.3kW, simple as that.
- 2.3kW Type 2 charging from any UK 3-pin socket
- 5m, 10m or 15m cable, from £119
- 1 year warranty
Cord Plus: programmable control
Adds a programmable LCD so the charger works around you: start charging when your electricity is cheapest, or cap the session on a shared socket.
- Delay the start of charging by up to 8 hours
- Set a target in kWh, so you only put in what you want to pay for
- Choose 6A, 8A or 10A charging current
- 3 year warranty, from £139
If you'll mostly charge overnight at home, the Plus pays for itself: delay the start until your cheap overnight rate begins and every charge costs less. On cable length, measure from the socket to your car's charge port the way you actually park, and round up. And never use an extension lead with an EV charger: choose a length that reaches instead.The Cord team
Built for the socket, not just the car
Every Cord granny charger is capped at 10A, because a UK 3-pin socket is not designed to run flat out at 13A all night. Budget 13A granny chargers do not comply with UK electrical regulations, whatever their listings promise. Ours are independently tested to EN 62752 as a complete unit, with certificates.
Why buy your charging kit from Cord?
Portable chargers plug in every day and travel in the boot, so build quality is a safety matter, not a luxury.
| Cord | Typical budget kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | ✓Portables capped at 10A in line with UK electrical regulations, with over-voltage, under-voltage and temperature protection in both the charger and the 3-pin plug | ✗Often runs at 13A, which can overheat domestic sockets and does not comply with UK electrical regulations |
| Build | ✓Tested for over 20,000 charges, IP65 sealed against rain and dust, IK10 impact protection | ✗Flimsy plastics, not sealed against British weather |
| Cover | ✓Up to 3 year warranty with UK-based support and easy exchanges | ✗Little meaningful cover, hard to exchange |
| In the box | ✓Carry bag with every portable charger, ready for the boot | ✗Sold bare |
Built to be safe
10A capped portables, tested cables, CE and UKCA certified.
Tested for over 20,000 charges
IP65 water resistance and IK10 impact protection.
Free next working day delivery
Order before 12 noon and charge tomorrow.
UK owned and operated
Real support, easy exchanges, up to 3 year warranty.
Give your charger a home on the wall
Our metal wall mounted holder fits every Cord Lite and Cord Plus and keeps the cable tidy on its built-in holster, inside or out. Just £20, with a 1 year warranty.
Portable granny charger or a wallbox?
Honest answer: they do different jobs, and plenty of drivers end up with both.
Choose a portable charger if...
- You charge occasionally, drive a plug-in hybrid, or run a second car.
- You want to charge anywhere with a 3-pin socket: home, family, holidays.
- You want to spend from £119 with nothing to install.
- You rent, or you're not ready to commit to a wallbox yet.
Choose a wallbox if...
- You charge most days: at 7.4kW a wallbox is around 3 times faster.
- You want smart scheduling and cheap EV tariffs like Octopus Intelligent Go.
- You want a fitted, permanent setup: our home EV chargers start from £479 for the charger, or £979 fully installed.
Want the detail? Read our guide to portable chargers vs a dedicated wallbox, or see how the Cord Zero compares with every major rival in our best home EV chargers guide.
Portable EV charger FAQs
"Granny charger" is the everyday name for a portable EV charger: a cable with a UK 3-pin plug on one end, a Type 2 connector on the other, and a control unit in between. The name comes from the classic use: topping up at a relative's house where there's no wallbox. Because it uses a standard socket, it works anywhere, with nothing to install.
Around 8 to 10 miles of range an hour. Overnight, that's roughly 80 to 120 miles: more than most people drive in a day. A 7.4kW wallbox is around 3 times faster, which matters if you charge from low to full most days, but for topping up a plug-in hybrid or an occasional-use EV, 2.3kW overnight does the job.
With the right charger, yes. Cord portable chargers are capped at 10A because a UK socket is not designed to run flat out at 13A all night: budget 13A granny chargers do not comply with UK electrical regulations. Ours add a built-in RCD with 6mA DC leakage detection, over and under-voltage protection, and temperature sensors in both the charger and the 3-pin plug, and each model is independently tested to EN 62752 as a complete unit, with certificates.
Yes. Cord portable chargers use a Type 2 connector, the standard on every new EV and plug-in hybrid sold in the UK, including every Tesla. If it has a Type 2 socket, it charges. Driving an older vehicle with a Type 1 socket? We make a Type 1 portable charger too.
Measure from the socket you'll use to your car's charge port, parked the way you actually park, and round up. We offer 5m, 10m and 15m: 5m suits a garage or a socket right by the car, 10m covers most driveways, and 15m is for when the socket and the car are far apart.
No. Never use an extension lead with an EV charger: ordinary extension leads are not designed for hours of continuous EV-charging load. Choose a cable length that reaches instead.
Same charging hardware and the same safety protections. The Cord Plus adds a programmable LCD (delay the start of charging by up to 8 hours, set a kWh target, choose 6A, 8A or 10A) and a 3 year warranty; the Cord Lite keeps it simple with a 1 year warranty, from £119.
You can trust us
We're a Which? Trusted Trader
Rated “excellent” on Trustpilot
Partners of Halfords
Rated 4.5/5.0 by Auto Express
-
15% off - use code 15OFF
Cord Lite
From £119Charge on the go with the Cord 5m portable 3-pin Type 2 EV charger. Safe, universal for all EVs, with IP65 waterproofing, 2.3kW power, and a 1-year warranty. Ideal for UK home and travel charging with easy storage.
-
15% off - use code 15OFF
Cord Lite
From £139Charge on the go with the Cord 10m portable 3-pin Type 2 EV charger. Safe, universal for all EVs, with IP65 waterproofing, 2.3kW power, and a 1-year warranty. Ideal for UK home and travel charging with easy storage.
-
15% off - use code 15OFF
Cord Lite
From £159Charge on the go with the Cord 15m portable 3-pin Type 2 EV charger. Safe, universal for all EVs, with IP65 waterproofing, 2.3kW power, and a 1-year warranty. Ideal for UK home and travel charging with easy storage.
