The first time at a public charger feels awkward, especially with another car waiting behind you. Yet it almost always goes the same way. Once you know the steps, you will be done in a few minutes. This guide walks through them in order, along with the mistakes beginners make most often.
Before you leave
Do the preparation at home, not at the charger. Find a charger on the map and check two things: does the connector fit your car, and how much power does the charger deliver? You can read more about connectors in our piece on Type 2 and CCS.
Make sure you can pay, too. That can be a charging card, a provider’s app or sometimes a bank card or QR code straight at the charger. The charger itself shows which options it offers. For the differences, see what is an EV charging card and the piece on paying by card or QR.
Finally, check whether you need your own charging cable. Many public AC chargers only have a Type 2 socket and no fixed cable, so you have to bring one. Fast chargers almost always have a fixed cable.
At the charger
- Park so the cable reaches your charging port without pulling. A taut cable wears out faster and gets in the way.
- Switch the car off, unlock it and open the charging flap.
- If the charger has a socket, plug your cable into the charger first and then into the car. With a fixed cable, plug it straight into the car.
- Start the session with your card, your app or your bank card. Some chargers want the plug in the car first and the card second, others the other way round. Follow the instructions on the screen or the sticker.
If another car has been sitting at the charger for hours, read what to do when a charger is occupied.
Check that it really works
It is better to find out now than tomorrow morning that a session has not started. Look at the car’s dashboard: is there a charging symbol, and what power do you see? The first half minute is usually start-up, so give it a moment.
No response after a minute or two? Unplug, plug in again and retry. If that does not help, try another charger or another socket on the same unit. The cause can be a broken charger, a card that is not accepted or a plug that is not seated properly. Our piece on a broken charger goes through them.
How long will you be there?
That depends on your battery and the charger’s power. Here is a worked example with assumptions you can adjust:
- Your car has a 60 kWh battery and you charge from 20% to 80%. That is 60% of 60 kWh, so 36 kWh.
- At an 11 kW AC charger, that takes roughly 36 divided by 11, about 3.3 hours.
- If your car can only take 7 kW on AC, it becomes 36 divided by 7, around 5 hours.
The power you get is therefore the lower of the charger’s and your car’s limits. This article goes deeper into kW and kWh. In practice it takes a little longer because of losses and because charging slows down as the battery fills.
While charging
Set an alert or a timer for when your battery reaches the level you want. Many providers charge a fee if your car stays put after the session ends. Terms differ and change, so check them in the app. How to avoid it is covered in avoiding idle fees.
A tip for your first time: do not start in a hurry. Plan the first session around something that takes an hour anyway, such as shopping or a meal.
Stopping and wrapping up
- End the session first, in the app, with the card or via the car. If you do not stop properly, the session may stay open in the system.
- Unlock the car if needed. The plug usually stays locked until the session has stopped.
- Pull the plug out of the car, then out of the charger.
- Close the charging flap and put the cable back in the boot, dry and coiled. Do not leave it on the ground for the next person.
Check afterwards
Open the app or your provider’s overview and see what the session cost. Divide the amount by the kWh you received and you have your price per kWh. Tariffs differ per provider and change regularly, so compare against what the app shows at that moment.
When the charger works differently
Not every charger works the same way. Some start automatically as soon as you plug in, others ask for a card first. When in doubt, follow the instructions on the charger.
Want to see which chargers are near you? Open the map and pick one that suits your car.