# Your first electric car: a charging checklist > What to sort out before your first EV arrives: where to charge, a charging card, cable, energy contract and a worked example of monthly charging costs. Published: 2026-09-15 · Language: en · Source: https://laadpaalvinden.be/en/blog/first-electric-car-charging-checklist/ You have ordered an electric car, or you are thinking about it. A few weeks before delivery is the time to sort out charging. Otherwise you will have a car outside on day one and no idea where to plug it in tonight. ## Decide where you will usually charge Everything else hangs on this question. Do you have a driveway, garage or fixed parking space? Then a wallbox is usually the best choice. Read [how to choose a wallbox](/en/blog/how-to-choose-a-wallbox/) first, because installation takes time and you do not want to wait until the car is already parked outside. No space of your own? Then it all depends on the charger in your street. Check the [map](/en/map/) for chargers within five minutes' walk, and go and look one evening to see whether there is a free bay. A charger that is free during the day can be taken every evening. More tips in [EV charging without a driveway](/en/blog/ev-charging-without-driveway/). ## Get a charging card and a backup A charging card or app starts the session and gives you a single invoice afterwards. Which one suits you depends on where you charge. You will find a comparison in [compare EV charging cards](/en/blog/compare-ev-charging-cards/). Rates and subscriptions change regularly, so check the current terms. Test your card before you need it. Hold it up to the reader of a charger nearby so you know it works. If you have a second card or payment method to hand, you are covered when the first one is not recognised. Many chargers also let you pay with a bank card or QR code, see [paying by card or QR at the charger](/en/blog/pay-by-card-or-qr-at-charger/). ## Check the cable For public AC chargers you usually need your own Type 2 cable. See what comes with the car: sometimes a cable for chargers, sometimes only an emergency cable for a wall socket. The latter is not an everyday solution. Which cable to buy and what to look for is covered in [buying an EV charging cable](/en/blog/buying-an-ev-charging-cable/). ## Look at your energy contract Charging at home is usually the cheapest option, but only if your contract plays along. A day and night rate, a dynamic tariff or the capacity tariff can change your costs a lot. If you prefer charging at night, a night rate is worth a look. If your wallbox and heat pump both pull a lot of power at once, your quarter-hour peak can rise. More in [home charging](/en/blog/home-charging/). ## Install the apps Put the car's app, your charging card app and a route planner on your phone. Log in to everything while you are still on the sofa. Resetting a password at a fast charger in the rain is a poor moment to learn how the app works. ## Get to know your car Read the manual to see how to open the charge port, set a charge limit and precondition the cabin. Many cars let you set a maximum, for example 80% for daily use. You can read why that helps in [why charge to 80%](/en/blog/why-charge-to-80-percent/). Then do a trial charge at a quiet time. You are in no hurry, nobody is waiting behind you and you can see calmly what the car does. ## Work out your monthly cost An example, with assumptions you should replace with your own figures. Say you drive 1,200 km a month and the car uses 16 kWh per 100 km. That is 192 kWh a month. - Charge everything at home at 0.30 euro per kWh and you pay 57.60 euro. - Charge everything at a public charger at 0.60 euro per kWh and it is 115.20 euro. - Charge 70% at home and 30% in public and you get 40.32 euro plus 34.56 euro, 74.88 euro in total. Those prices are made up for the sums. Use your own kWh price from your energy supplier and the rate at the charger where you would charge. The [charging calculator](/en/charging-calculator/) lets you do the same exercise with your own numbers. Count the time too. If you need to add 36 kWh (say from 20% to 80% of a 60 kWh battery), that takes about 5 hours at 7.4 kW. From a 2.3 kW wall socket it takes almost 16 hours. That difference decides whether a night is enough. ## Plan your first long trip Do not make your first long trip under time pressure. Plan the stops in advance, look at what is available at the fast chargers and keep a margin in the battery. The route can look different in winter than in summer. See [fast charging on trips](/en/blog/fast-charging-on-trips/). ## Common mistakes - Ordering the wallbox only once the car is on the road. Installation and inspection take longer than you think. - Relying on a single charging card. - Driving down to 5% on a trip and only then looking for a charger. - Using the emergency cable as a permanent alternative. ## When this does not apply to you Do you have a company car with a fuel or charging card from your employer? Then some choices are already made, such as the card and sometimes the wallbox. Check with your employer what is arranged before you buy anything yourself. For a first go at a public charger, [your first public charge](/en/blog/first-time-public-charging-guide/) helps.