EV Charging (please read first post in thread)

[Mik_Bennett]

It has been suggested elsewhere that a new thread reviewing EV charging apps be started.

This thread is aimed at drivers considering buying an EV, new drivers who are getting to grips with their new EV and longer term EV drivers trying to keep up with the rapidly developing charging network and supporting software whilst sharing their experience.

What this thread is NOT aimed at is even more debate about EVs versus ICEs. If you have an axe to grind, or what you think is a witty comment to make, please show some courtesy and consideration to others and post it on one of the many other threads on the subject and leave this space for useful information only.

[Mik_Bennett]

CHARGEMAP

As a novice EV driver with only 10 months experience, I have only used one charging app called chargemap (apart from the app that came with the car and is aimed specifically at that vehicle).

I confess that nearly all my charging is done at home where it is a doddle just to plug it in and keep it fully charged and ready to go. By fully charged, I mean 90% (giving a range of aprox 350km) because there seems to be a consensus that this extends battery life. On the rare occasions I charge elsewhere, chargemap seems to be a good solution.

It costs around €20 for a one time purchase of a card (there are often special introductory offers). The only other costs are when you actually use it. Then the costs are deducted from your payment account at the end of the month.

The good features for me are that it supports Android Auto and Car Play so it can be displayed on the screen of your car rather than fiddle with a smartphone. It also has auto charge (if your car and the borne you are using supports this feature). This means you drive up to the borne (borne de recharge) plug in the cable then return to the car when you get a notification on your phone that the charge is complete. What could be easier than that?

I have some screen shots that might be helpful in understanding what chargemap does.

This shows a map of a part of a local commercial area. There are 11 clusters of chargers. In the same area there is only one petrol station.

The symbols show chargemap compatible bornes (a plug in a square) or those that do not need a chargemap account (a circular speech bubble). The latter may be free, require credit card or even be only for private use.
The colours tell you the speed of charge. You can also see if they are out of order (or simply closed at the time), busy or available.

If you click on one of the charging stations it will give a lot of information about that borne. You can also add photos or leave a review to help others.

More importantly, it will tell you how long it will take to charge your particular car and more importantly how much it will cost.

Also important is the use of filters to see exactly what type of bornes you want to see on the map.

I hope someone finds this useful?

[Corona]

For longer trips Abetterrouteplanner app is useful as its database contains most of the available EV’s with ideas of range between charging so it can help with planning.

[Gareth]

This one is a bit niche so probably doesn’t apply to 90% of SFers… And apologies about the length of this post.

I recently had taken the ferry across the Gironde and arrived in Royan. I don’t have an EV myself and so don’t have any dedicated apps installed. Instead I was just using Waze to find the nearest charging station… It was surprisingly good as it showed the types available at each location, how many were currently in use, etc…

However, it went a bit downhill after that. The nearest charger was in the town center, when I got there I discovered it was run by a company called MObiVE in conjunction with the mairie of Royan. I really should’ve gone elsewhere at this point.

When I’ve driven an EV in the UK (which I’ve felt has been a couple of years ahead of France in terms of deploying chargers), I’ve been able to just tap my debit card and be billed on a PAYG basis. The MObiVE charger wouldn’t let me do that. Instead I had to install their dedicated app to use their charger.

We installed it on my partner’s iPhone as mine was playing up. It’s one of the worst apps I’ve used in a long time. It took a long time just to install and configure. It’s very basic yet slow to update, and the user interface is confusing… They try very hard to get you to pay for a subscription rather than PAYG. It then wouldn’t take my card details initially.

Eventually we got it working but it was a painful experience. Then, for some reason, despite using a CCS2 charger, it was really really slow to charge. This may have been the vehicle’s fault or the charger… dunno. But by that point, I’d had enough and we unplugged and left. Or rather, we tried to. Their shitty app showed us as being connected and charging even when I’d unplugged the cable. It took rebooting the phone for the app to realise the charger was not being used any longer.

In the end, we drove back to Rochefort and I stopped off at Ionity chargers in the Intermarché car park. Like the UK, I was able to use my bank card for PAYG… I literally tapped the charger with my card, authorised the payment on my phone and was up and running in under 30 seconds. And charging at full speed for the battery too.

To summarise, as an occasional user who had simply hired an EV and therefore didn’t have any dedicated apps installed, I’d give Waze 9/10 for usability in locating nearby chargers (it’d be nice if it compared the price per kWh too), but the MObiVE app 1/10 for usability in charging and paying.

[Mik_Bennett]

I seem to remember reading that in UK they are planning a regulation that all chargers must be credit card compatible. That would be useful. I am sure one system will eventually emerge to work on all systems

[Corona]

That was I believe written into the original spec but overlooked/ignored. Bloody stupid.

[JohnH]

@Gareth

Ionity chargers

I have the Ionity card and it’s very good. If I have a long trip planned then I’ll subscribe for a month and it drops the price per kWh quite dramatically.

[Mark]

Very timely @Mik_Bennett and others, thanks. Just got back from Renault, done the deal, signed all the papers and pick it up next Friday (got to go to UK for a funeral this week). Should have done it a week ago to save paying ULEZ😢

[Mik_Bennett]

@JohnH

I have the Ionity card and it’s very good.

Ionity seem to be a good network to head for. “Chargemap” works on their chargers but if I use “Charge My Hyundai” which came with my car I get discounted rates.

Does the Ionity card work with other networks?

[Mik_Bennett]

@Corona

For longer trips Abetterrouteplanner app is useful as its database contains most of the available EV’s with ideas of range between charging so it can help with planning.

Here you go, I found this

A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) vs. Chargemap: Key Differences

1. Purpose & Focus

ABRP: Primarily designed for EV route planning, focusing on optimizing energy consumption, charging stops, and travel time.

Chargemap: Focuses more on locating charging stations, user reviews, and community-driven data rather than route optimization.

2. Route Planning

ABRP: Uses advanced algorithms to calculate the most efficient route based on vehicle type, battery capacity, weather conditions, elevation changes, and real-time traffic.

Chargemap: Offers basic route planning but is more about finding charging stations than optimizing energy usage.

3. Charging Station Database

ABRP: Pulls data from various networks, but some stations might be missing or outdated.

Chargemap: Maintains a large, user-contributed database with reviews, photos, and real-time station status updates.

4. Real-Time Data & Integration

ABRP: Supports real-time vehicle data via OBD adapters or direct car API connections (for supported EVs).

Chargemap: Provides real-time charger availability but lacks deep vehicle integration.

5. Payment & RFID Card

ABRP: No direct payment system; you use third-party apps for payments.

Chargemap: Offers the Chargemap Pass, an RFID card that lets you pay at compatible stations across Europe plus automatic payment (plug and go) on many cars.

6. User Interface & Experience

ABRP: More technical, focused on data and optimization, with detailed energy consumption graphs.

Chargemap: More user-friendly, with a focus on station details, community input, and ease of use.

7. Subscription & Pricing

ABRP: Free version available; premium subscription unlocks better live data and more advanced planning tools.

Chargemap: Free to use, but the Chargemap Pass requires a small fee for activation.

Best For:

Use ABRP if: You need precise, energy-efficient trip planning with real-time battery predictions.

Use Chargemap if: You want an easy way to find chargers, read user reviews, and pay for charging in Europe.

[JohnH]

@Mik_Bennett

Does the Ionity card work with other networks?

I don’t think so. My usual card is Octopus Electroverse that seems to work with most.

Another useful app is Chargeprice which tells you the price that each card provider charges at any given location though I’ve come to the conclusion that the Electroverse card is usually cheap enough that I can’t be bothered faffing with different cards.

Lidl is also a good source of chargers, with increasing numbers of 150kW chargers. The site at Vendôme had signs up saying that their target is 20% of their parking spaces will have charge capacity.

[Corona]

Yes agree, its why I said route planning.

[Gareth]

@JohnH

Lidl is also a good source of chargers, with increasing numbers of 150kW chargers. The site at Vendôme had signs up saying that their target is 20% of their parking spaces will have charge capacity.

Wow, would be great to see all supermarkets do this. Even 10% would be good.

[Badger]

@JohnH

…their target is 20% of their parking spaces will have charge capacity.

Due to potential local grid issues I suspect that such a large %age would mean that they will be providing mostly Level 2 charging i.e. 7kW monophasé & 22kW triphasé.

Alternatively, they might install multiple rapids (CCS & some Chademo) which would share the supply i.e. not give the full charge rate if others were also connected.

I’ve come across the sharing issue at a Lidl in Cherbourg, but I was still getting about 24kW instead of the nearly 50kW that a Chademo should supply i.e. much better than 7kW Level 2. Once another car started to back off it’s charge rate I could see mine increase. N.B. This wasn’t when sharing a dual CCS/Chademo charger - the other one was on the opposite side of the car park.

[Corona]

Its the 150kw shared probably, like the big charges if two plug in its 75kw etc

[JohnH]

@Badger

they will be providing mostly Level 2 charging

Agree, I suspect destination chargers are much more likely than banks of rapid chargers. The one in Châteaudun has 4 destination chargers at 7kW and 2 “rapid” chargers at 50kW

[DrSukie]

Chargemap was BY FAR the best purchase I made for the trip to France I just concluded. It made paying for charging at the various providers (I traveled 2600 km in 14 days) a snap. And I love the feature that they bill your bank account monthly, although you also get a receipt for each charging session in real time so you can keep track of things. I also got an Izivia card, and that was also great help. A FB person recommeded a Shell charging card, but not once in my extensive travels did I envounter a Shell-branded charging facility, so not sure if that’s only for specific areas.

[DrSukie]

Also agree with this. It is by far the best app I’ve found (I have had a Hyundai EV in the states for 19 months now) for long-trip planning.

[DrSukie]

Waze is also excellent for warning you about the radar areas…

[Corona]

And pretty much everything else a wazer spots.