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WHAT IS A PORTABLE CHARGING CABLE?
For some charging sessions you may want to plug your car directly into the wall and use a standard 8 Amp/3-pin plug power point or your 16 Amp 'caravan' plug.
A portable charging cable has a plug at one end which goes in to your car's charging port and another plug which goes in to the wall. It also has an IC-CPD which stands for In Cord – Control and Protection Device.
A portable charging cable allows the car to charge safely because of the technology in the IC-CPD/control box and sensors. NZ law requires that Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment with an IC-CPD box meets NZ safety standards. A portable charging cable bought from an online overseas website might burn down your house. Products bought from a NZ business should be safe because NZ businesses selling EVSE are required to meet certain criteria as sellers of EVSE. Buying second-hand EVSE comes with risks as you don't know how it has been used.
WHAT IS A CARAVAN PLUG?
New Zealand defaulted to the Caravan plug commonly referred to as Commando/CEE early on in the EV revolution. These plugs can carry a higher amp rating than the three-pin plug. Advice from WorkSafe and Master Electricians is that these devices should be fitted with an RCD Type B (for detection of DC current) in case of a car side charging fault. DC current going back into a switchboard could be an issue with potential fire risk in the extreme.
DC detection stops that; traditionally we have used an external RCD Type B to mitigate this threat, the issue has been the cost of supply and lack of definitive legal ruling about them. The cost of the device has often been a deterrent (often $600+). EV Power 16 Amp portable charging cables have the DC detection built-in.