Electric shock while plugging in my EV charging cable… anyone else had this?

Discussion
21

@Imani
Could be stray current from poor grounding. Sadly, it’s been known to harm pets in some cities.

22

@Imani
EV chargers don’t send high voltage to the pins until they get a signal confirming a connection. First, the car and charger talk over a low 12V signal to ensure safe connection.

23

@Imani
Cybertrucks might be an exception. I think one was found with a fault that left the body charged.

24

emma said:
@Imani
Cybertrucks might be an exception. I think one was found with a fault that left the body charged.

That case was due to a faulty power source connection. You’d only see this with a plugged-in charger.

25

@Robert
Strange there weren’t any warnings about that issue.

26

@Imani
If static charges like this happened regularly, we’d have people getting shocks all the time just from touching their car doors. Something else is going on.

27

@Imani
With 240V at 40A, a direct shock would leave serious burns, so it’s unlikely to be from the EV system.

28

olivia said:
@Imani
With 240V at 40A, a direct shock would leave serious burns, so it’s unlikely to be from the EV system.

One reason the U.S. electrical system is considered safer—residential use is typically only 120V to ground.

29

@diallo
If OP is in Europe, they’re likely dealing with a Type 2 plug which does have higher voltage.

30

If you only plugged into the car and not the charger, there shouldn’t be any voltage in the cable. It might be a medical issue, or you stepped onto an energized ground surface.

Either way, consider seeing a doctor and reporting the incident.

31

@Robert
Maybe it’s because OP plugged into the car first. Plugging into the charger first connects it to ground, which might prevent static buildup.

32

Gabriel said:
@Robert
Maybe it’s because OP plugged into the car first. Plugging into the charger first connects it to ground, which might prevent static buildup.

The cable itself isn’t live if it’s only plugged into the car, not the charger. The charging port on the car isn’t connected to the battery until the connection is complete.

33

@Robert
Technically, yes, but a fault could in theory allow voltage there. Though it would be unusual.

34

diallo said:
@Robert
Technically, yes, but a fault could in theory allow voltage there. Though it would be unusual.

Even if voltage could reach the port, it still wouldn’t create a circuit to shock someone holding an intact cable.

35

@Robert
Exactly. Even if there was a fault, there wouldn’t be any path for current to shock OP.

36

@Robert
Maybe there was a small spark or static discharge when OP plugged in, but grounding it through the EVSE would’ve avoided that.

37

Gabriel said:
@Robert
Maybe it’s because OP plugged into the car first. Plugging into the charger first connects it to ground, which might prevent static buildup.

Could be a sudden current draw, maybe?

38

@jeff
The car side of the cable doesn’t carry live current before connection to the pole.

39

Robert said:
@jeff
The car side of the cable doesn’t carry live current before connection to the pole.

My mistake.

40

Were you touching the metal pins on the plug? Unless you were, there’s no way you’d get shocked by the car itself—static sounds more likely.