Skoda Octavia iV EV Charging Cable

A modest charger and no way round it

The Octavia iV and the vRS iV, hatch and estate, ran from 2020 until Skoda closed UK order books in late 2022. Both carry a 13 kWh pack, quoted at up to 43 miles of WLTP electric range on the iV and 39 on the vRS iV, and both use a 3.6 kW single phase onboard charger. Skoda publishes no usable figure, only the 13 kWh gross.

Skoda's own numbers were three and a half hours from a 3.6 kW wall box and five hours from a domestic socket. The car is the bottleneck, not the cable, so the extra current goes unused. The saving on the smaller cable is better spent on buying enough length, which is the decision that actually goes wrong on this car.

How long a full charge takes

Hours come from dividing the pack by the power the car actually draws, with 13 per cent added for losses. Our figure and Skoda's three and a half hours agree closely. The table uses the 13 kWh gross capacity because no usable number is published, so the real time is a little shorter than shown.

There is no DC capability. Skoda's own charging page for this car lists a three pin socket, a 3.6 kW wall box and public AC points, and nothing else. Rapid chargers cannot be used, so the Type 2 lead is the only way the battery ever refills, and a used Octavia iV that arrives without one has no working electric mode until a cable turns up.

Which length to buy

Skoda UK's press release puts the Type 2 port on the passenger side front wing, and it was describing the right hand drive car, so on a UK Octavia that is the front nearside, ahead of the front passenger door. We say nearside rather than passenger side because the phrase flips meaning on an import and gets people the wrong cable.

The Octavia is 4.69 metres as a hatch and a little more as an estate. Nose in with the charge point on the left and 5 metres does it. Reverse in, or a wall box on the driver's side of the drive, and the cable travels the length of the car, which is 10 metres. Take a tape measure to the run, inlet to charge point, and add a couple of metres before choosing.

How these cables are built

Standards are IEC 62196-2 and CE, protection is IP55, and the specified working range runs -30C to +50C.

On the three pin side the standard is IEC 62752, with CE marking, IP67 sealing and a -30C to +60C range. Backed by a two year manufacturer's warranty, with free next working day delivery and a 30 day return window.

Also from Skoda: Skoda Elroq EV Charging Cable. The full range of Skoda charging cables is on one page.

Skoda Octavia iV charging cable questions

What cable does an Octavia iV need?

A 16A Type 2 to Type 2 lead. The onboard charger stops at 3.6 kW on both the iV and the vRS iV, so that is all the car can draw and a 32A cable would finish at the same time.

How long does an Octavia iV take to charge?

Skoda quoted three and a half hours from a 3.6 kW wall box and five hours from a domestic three pin socket. Our own calculation on the 13 kWh pack agrees.

Can an Octavia iV use a rapid charger?

No. There is no DC socket, and Skoda's own charging page lists only a three pin socket, a wall box and public AC points. The Type 2 cable is the only way to charge it.

Which side is the charge port on?

The front nearside wing, ahead of the front passenger door. Skoda calls it the passenger side, which is correct for a UK car but would be the other side on a left hand drive import.