Schuko is the earthed wall socket used across most of continental Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain. The name comes from the German Schutzkontakt, meaning protective contact, and it supplies 230 volts single-phase. British homes use the BS 1363 three-pin socket instead, so Schuko is something UK drivers meet abroad rather than at home.

Charging from a wall socket is done with a portable charger, a Mode 2 cable. The charger supplied with the car is locked at around 10 A whatever you plug it into. The Voldt® 3-pin granny charger is adjustable across 8, 10 and 13 A, so it draws up to 2.8 kW where your socket and circuit allow it, and steps down where they do not.

Both versions carry a thermal sensor in the plug. Heat build-up is the real consideration when a socket rated for intermittent use is asked to deliver hours of continuous charging, so the charger monitors the temperature at the plug and adjusts the charging current accordingly. Choose a lower setting in an older property, have the socket checked by a qualified electrician so you can charge at full current with confidence, and never charge through an extension lead or a cable reel.

Crossing the Channel changes the plug and nothing else: the Schuko version of the same charger reaches 16 A, around 3.7 kW, on continental sockets. Both sit in the Voldt® portable charger range, which spans lengths from 5 to 20 m, CE, UKCA and TÜV certified, IP67 rated and covered by a 3-year warranty.