If you drive an electric vehicle, your car needs to be charged regularly using a charging station. In a way, a charging station functions like a powerful power outlet. There are both public and private charging stations available. With public charging stations, you are usually required to bring your own charging cable. With a home charging station, you can also choose a model with a fixed cable. In most cases, a charging card (or charging key fob) is required to charge your EV. But how does charging at a charging station actually work?
1. You connect your EV to the charging station by plugging in the charging cable. A green light indicates that the connection was successful. If a red light appears, it means there is a malfunction.
2. With some charging stations, the car starts charging immediately. With so-called smart charging stations, you activate the charger using a charging card. This is more secure and also gives you access to additional features, such as automatic business expense reimbursement.
3. With public charging stations and most home or business chargers, you hold your charging card against the scanner on the charging station after plugging in the charging cables.
4. A blue light will then appear, indicating that charging has started.
5. When you want to stop charging, simply hold your charging card against the charging station again. You can then disconnect the charging cable from the electric vehicle.
A charging card is therefore often essential. With a charging card, you identify yourself at a charging station and the costs you incur are registered with the charging station’s energy provider. Every charging card has a provider (also known as a Mobility Service Provider, or MSP). This MSP ensures that you can charge at various locations and receive a monthly invoice containing all your charging sessions.
You can also choose a charging card with an additional charge management subscription. This gives you insight into your charging sessions and charging transactions, and enables features such as automatic business expense reimbursement.
Did you know that we also offer the 50five charging key fob and a charge management subscription with a charging station installation? For more information or answers to other questions, feel free to contact us.