Well, in Europe we have 220V rated at 16A for most things (including electric dryers), and a 3-phase connector with up to 400V @ 32A only for things that really

Well, in Europe we have 220V rated at 16A for most things (including electric dryers), and a 3-phase connector with up to 400V @ 32A only for things that really need it (oven) [1]. The higher voltage allows for less bulky connectors, cables and electric kettles which heat water in a reasonable amount of time. And honestly, the European systems (Schuko [2] and the UK plugs) look a lot safer than their US counterparts. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IECEE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IECEE [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schuko