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.

There is a wide range of charging stations available. The most suitable option depends on your personal preferences, vehicle type, and home situation. Most newer homes have a 3-phase connection, allowing you to charge your car much faster than with a 1-phase connection. Therefore, always check what type of phase connection your electrical panel has first. Then choose a charging station that is compatible with your home’s electrical connection.

Most home charging stations support charging capacities of 3.7 kW and 11 kW, which are suitable for charging most electric vehicles. To make choosing a charging station easier, consider the following questions:

• Do I want a wall-mounted charging station or one mounted on a pole?
• Do I want a standard charging station or one with smart features such as dynamic load balancing?
• Do I prefer fixed or detachable charging cables?

At 50five, we offer various charging station brands. Is your question not listed here? Feel free to contact us.

Charging cables are essential for easily charging your electric vehicle. There are two types of charging cables: Type 1 and Type 2. Curious about the differences? We’ve summarized them for you below:

Type 1: Type 1 charging cables have a single-phase connection. These are connected to a single-phase charging station with a maximum charging capacity of 3.7 kW at 16A and 7.4 kW at 32A.

Type 2: These charging cables are the most common. Both plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles can charge using Type 2. That’s why most charging stations are compatible with Type 2 cables. Type 2 cables have a three-phase connection, allowing for much faster charging (provided your vehicle supports three-phase charging). A three-phase charging station has a maximum charging capacity of 11 kW at 16A and 22 kW at 32A.

Read also: 1-phase or 3-phase charging station: what’s the difference?

To determine which type of charging cable, and therefore which type of charging station, you need, check the connector on your vehicle. You can easily do this by looking in your car’s manual or inspecting the connector itself. Five pins indicate a Type 1 connection, while seven pins indicate Type 2. You can do the same for the charging station connector.

It is also important to check the phase connection in your electrical panel.

Can’t find the answer to your question here? Feel free to contact us.

The Netherlands has the best charging infrastructure in the world. With so many charging stations available, having a clear overview is very useful. Many charging station providers thought the same! That’s why several convenient charging apps have been developed, giving you an overview of available charging points, including charging rates and charging speeds. In some cases, you can even pay directly through the app.

At 50five, we have also developed our own app: the 50five app. Simply link your charging card and gain access to a comprehensive overview of available charging stations. In addition, the app offers even more features:

• Search for a charging station near you or at your destination
• Link your charging card using a QR-scanner
• View your charging transactions clearly and conveniently
• Pay via PayPal or creditcard

Can’t find the answer to your question here? Feel free to contact us.