Find charging stations: Chargemap, the essential application
Created in 2011, ChargeMap makes it easy to recharge electric cars by enabling users to find a charging station and pay for their charge via its mobile application. It enables charging networks to make their infrastructure more profitable by improving the visibility of their stations to electric car drivers. The company federates the largest community of electric car users in Europe".
Chargemap is an interactive map on which you can find all the public charging stations in France and Europe. Chargemap is based on a cartography that can be modified by its users on the principle of crowdsourcing. Users are invited to contribute to the map by adding new bollards and leaving comments on their operating status. As a result, the information is not always up to date or accurate. However, the Chargemap community is very active and information flows quickly.
Chargemap is also becoming more accurate. Increasingly, terminal network managers are themselves contributing to the accuracy of the information. Chargemap is not only able to display whether charging stations are working, but also whether they are occupied.
In the Chargemap application, you can identify available charging points by a small green dot at the top right of the charging point icon, as explained below in the legend :
You can also filter the hotspots displayed in Chargemap to show only fast hotspots, for example, or those on freeway service areas, to save you a detour on long journeys.
Now that you've found a terminal, how do you go about using it?
Accessing a charging point: charging cards for electric cars
Charging your electric vehicle at a public charging station is still not as simple as going to the gas pump.
You want to go on vacation with your electric vehicle and the question of recharging arises. With a combustion-powered vehicle, all you have to do is stop at a petrol pump, fill up and pay with your credit card. With an electric vehicle, it's not quite so simple.
Today, most charging stations have no credit card reader. So you'll have to use an app on your smartphone or an electric vehicle charging card. This is really just an RFIDbadge (the same as your transport card or your access card for work, for example).
The RFID badge is an access and payment card for recharging your electric vehicle.
Interoperable recharging cards allow access to most charging stations in France. When you purchased your vehicle, you were probably given a card of this type.
If this isn't the case, you can buy one on the Internet or in freeway stores.
Would you like to order your Beev recharge card ?
Our card makes it easy to recharge your electric car at any charging station in Europe.
Tip: buy your RFID badge online in advance to avoid disappointment at a freeway service area if it's out of stock. It will be delivered directly to your home by post.
ALSO READ - How do you recharge your electric car on the freeway?
The problem of the number of networks that all have their own badges, and the impossibility for users to pay simply with their credit card, has given rise to mobility operators. Their ambition is to consolidate access to all networks on a single badge. To achieve this, they sign agreements with the various charging station networks, often taking a few cents commission on each charge. The advantage is that you don't have to accumulate different cards and applications to access each network. All you need is one card to pay for your top-ups.
Today, the main mobility operators who each issue a charging card for electric vehicles are :
To see which terminal the different badges give access to, consult their respective interactive maps, which list all accessible terminals.
How do you choose your mobility operator and therefore your RFID badge?
To choose the badge best suited to your needs, you need to start by comparing recharging prices at the charging stations you'll be using frequently. If you can't recharge your electric car at home and you use a network of charging stations close to your home, consider taking the access badge for that network directly. You won't be charged roaming fees when you use the charging stations. If you use an electric vehicle charging card like the ones mentioned earlier on a daily basis, this could cost you more than using the proprietary badge of your local network.
Advantages and disadvantages of each badge
The Chargemap Pass
- Integration into the Chargemap application
- Chargemap community
- Simple, intuitive interface
- Assistance from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Badge price: €19.90 (without subscription)
The Izivia Pass
- Best prices on the Corri-Door network
- Fixed fee for each charge launched outside the Corri-Door network
- Unreadable refill price list
- Badge price: €15 (no subscription)
The Fulli electric recharging card
- A single subscription for electronic toll collection and electric vehicle charging
- Badge price: €19 (no subscription)
- Fixed fee for each load launch
Freshmile Pass
- Best prices on the Freshmile network
- Application that tracks the load in progress
- 24/7 support
- Badge price: €5 (without subscription)
To find out more about the Freshmile pass, click here.
Shell Recharge recharge card
- Number of terminals available in Benelux and Germany
- Badge price: free (without subscription)
- 24/7 support
- Fixed fee for each load launch
The Plugsurfing recharge card
- Enable drivers to find and choose the best charging station, with information on price, compatibility and availability.
- Fixed fee for each load launch
- High refill prices
- Badge price: €9.95 (without subscription)
- Electric vehicles can be recharged at over 300,000 charging points in Europe
- Reload card available to individuals and businesses
- Free, commission-free recharge card
Comparative charging costs for France's two main fast-charging networks
| Access method | TotalEnergies | IONITY |
|---|---|---|
|
By mobile application - blue card |
0.79 €/ kWh + 0.20 €/min from 45 minutes of connection to the terminal |
0.69 €/kWh |
|
Chargemap Pass |
0.869 €/ kWh + 0.22 €/min from 45 minutes of connection to the terminal |
0.752 €/kWh |
|
IZIVIA Pass |
0.79 €/ kWh + 0.20 €/min from 45 minutes connection to the terminal + 1€ service charge |
0.684 €/kWh + 1€ Service Charge |
|
Fulli recharge card |
0.79 €/ kWh + 0.20 €/min from 45 minutes of connection to the terminal |
0.684 €/kWh |
|
Freshmile Pass |
0.19 € / kWh started + 0.30€ /min |
0.19€ / kWh started + 0.71€ /min |
|
Shell Recharge Pass |
0.40 € / kWh + 0.40€ /min |
0.68 € / kWh |
|
Plugsurfing |
0.64 €/ kWh + 0.10 €/hour |
0.71 € /kWh |
|
Beev recharge card |
0.81 €/ kWh + 0.20 €/min from 45 minutes connection to the terminal + 0.60 € service charge |
0.71 /kWh + €0.60 service charge |
As you can see from this comparison table, rates can sometimes vary by as much as double, depending on the badge used. You should therefore pay close attention to the rates applied by mobility operators, which you'll find in their respective mobile applications.
No badge? Use the mobile app
If you don't have the right charging badge, don't worry - you can always use a mobile app. Most of today's on-street charging stations are connected to the Internet and can be easily accessed via a mobile app.
Follow the instructions on the terminal to start your recharge.
Using a charging station: the main steps to follow
Using a terminal is very simple. In most cases, it comes down to 3 steps:
With your RFID badge
- Badger
- Connect
- Load
To stop the load
- Badger
- Unplug (replace the connector on the terminal if the cable is attached).
If you don't have an electric vehicle charging card, you can use a mobile application. You'll then need to find the charging station on a map, or scan a pictogram (QR code) on the station to access it.
With the :
- Find the terminal
- Select connector
- Start load
To stop the load
- Press ''stop charging'' in the application
- Disconnect (replace the connector on the terminal if the cable is attached)
Tip: even if you don't have a Chargemap Pass badge, the application is very useful for identifying charging points and providing you with all the information you need to use them. What's more, you'll be able to read comments from the community on the operating status of the charging point.
You can check the status of your refill directly from the website or in the mobile application. This will enable you to track the cost of your refill, the instantaneous power and your consumption. At the end of your refill, you'll find a summary of your refill and the associated invoice.
The future of charging is Plug & Charge!
Since 2018, the European charging station network Fastned has launched the Autocharge which greatly simplifies electric vehicle recharging. No more cards or apps are needed, just plug your vehicle into the terminal. The vehicle will then automatically identify itself to the terminal and start charging. You'll be billed directly to your bank account at the end of the charge, according to your consumption. The Autocharge function is available on all vehicles equipped with a CCS socket, such as the Peugeot e-208, Volkswagen ID.3 or Audi e-tron. It is not yet available on CHAdeMO and Type 2.
In fact, the Tesla brand has already adapted Plug & Charge technology to its Tesla Superchargers. While these charging stations are accessible to all makes of electric car, only Tesla vehicles can use Plug & Charge.
For more information, take a look at our video on Tesla Superchargers. More recently, the IONITY network has opened up the functionality to its users.
ALSO READ Electric cars in 2023: all models soon on the road.
Access to charging stations by credit card is still the easiest way to go, while we wait for the democratization of "plug & charge", so networks are increasingly equipping themselves, like the Normandy network. SIEGE 27 or the OuestCharge, which respectively has 130 and 172 charging stations equipped with credit card readers. The user experience is comparable to that of a gas station. Freeway fast-charging stations are also rapidly being equipped with blue card terminals to make life easier for electric vehicle drivers.
In a nutshell
Although today, to recharge at most public charging stations, you need to use a charging card that comes with your vehicle or that you've purchased, more and more options are arriving to make your life easier. So, rather than collecting recharge cards, you can now have just one that will give you access to the vast majority of networks, such as the BS recharge card. If you come across an incompatible bollard, chances are it has a mobile app or other means of access indicated on it. Like the Normandy network of SIEGE 27network in Normandy, more and more networks are equipping themselves with credit card readers to enable you to pay simply. And tomorrow, you won't even need to identify yourself; you'll simply have to plug in the car, which will then communicate with the charger to start charging and bill you accordingly.
ALSO READ - When should you recharge your electric car?
