There are still not as many as gas stations but their number is rapidly increasing. Here’s how to find out where the charging stations for electric vehicles are located, not only in Italy
App for charging stations – Photo by Ernest Ojeh on Unsplash
Do you have an electric car and don’t know exactly where the charging stations are located ? No problem: there are many sites and apps on the web to find charging stations for electric vehicles. In this article we will suggest the most valid apps to install on your smartphone, to never let the car run out of kW.
Do you have a charging station at home? You can save on your bill by switching to another energy provider. You can find the best rate with Tiscali Tagliacosti !
What are electric car charging stations and where are they located
You know those “totems” that are now seen almost everywhere, both in the parking lots of shopping centers and on the sidewalks of big cities (and not only), with an elegant and futuristic design? These are the charging stations for electric vehicles : in practice the equivalent of the “old” petrol pumps, only they do not distribute fuel in liquid form, but as electricity.
In Italy in 2022, more than 30,000 charging stations for electric cars were registered . Between now and 2026, thanks to the funds allocated for the PNRR (National Resilience and Resistance Plan), this figure should increase by another 21,000 units, including recharging points on suburban and urban roads.
There are both public and private charging stations. The first are those installed by energy suppliers and are found on the street or in railway stations, while the private ones are both those installed by private individuals in the courtyards of their own homes or in company parking lots, and those in private places open to the public such as supermarkets.
The best way to save on your bill is by switching to another energy supplier. You can find the best rate with Tiscali Tagliacosti !
App to find charging stations, what they are and how they work
Since the distribution of charging stations in the area is not yet widespread, how to find a charging station for electric vehicles ? The answer is provided by some apps , available both for Android platforms on Google Play and on the App Store for iOS. Here they are:
– Nextcharge : Nextcharge is a network of charging stations (more than 200,000 throughout Europe) for electric cars . The app not only shows a map of the columns , but also allows you to recharge it via a “wallet”. The wallet is a virtual wallet that works with a credit to go down. The recharge can be done both from the app and from an RFID card that is sent after a first recharge of the wallet. From the app you can also book the column and estimate the cost of recharging per kW. The Nextcharge network includes operators such as Enel X, Be Charge, Repower, Edison and others. The charging network can also be consulted on the Nextcharge website .
Nextcharge
– Chargemap : very similar to Nextcharge, the Chargemap network includes (as of July 2022) more than 200,000 charging stations and over 572,000 charging stations. It is noted that the app was born in France, because the largest number of columns is concentrated in that country. However, the rest of Europe also has good coverage. In 2021 the very useful route planner was launched, through which you can prepare an itinerary by setting the initial battery level and what you would like to have once you arrive at your destination, the vehicle model and any other parameters such as cruising speed. , tolls etc. Top-ups are made using the Chargemap Pass, a rechargeable card that can be used throughout the Chargemap network.
Chargemap
– PlugShare : substantially similar to the apps we have mentioned, also in this case it is possible to consult (also on the website ) a map with all the charging stations (over 200,000) of the companies with which agreements have been signed. Here too there is a “Trip Planner” to plan an itinerary, the possibility of filtering the columns according to the type of plug and networks available, and possibly add public or private stations.
Plugshare
– Open Charge Map : this app also allows you to see the charging stations for electric vehicles . In this case, the information available (in Italy there are 18,000 columns) is based on a huge community of electric car users: an advantage, because they refer to the columns present all over the planet, but also a problem because in some cases the data can be incomplete or out of date.
Open Charge Map
Google Maps : the Big G app, already widely used as a daily navigation system, also allows you to see the charging columns on the map. Just scroll the navigation strip at the top, tap on the Other label and then on Services> Recharge electric vehicles. Detailed information will appear in the tab for each column, including, for example, not only the opening hours, but also the power of the individual plugs.
Google Maps, on the left a detail of Rome, on the right the area of central Milan
– Juice Pass (Enel X): it is the Enel X app that allows customers of the company of the same name to manage recharging services in different ways, both by searching for the columns located throughout the area and by booking the recharges themselves. The interesting aspects of Juice Pass are also those of monitoring the energy delivered, and being able to interrupt or set the duration of the recharge directly from the app. Furthermore, it is possible to manage the domestic charging of the JuiceBoxes (that is, the charging infrastructures available in three different configurations), possibly also changing the tariff plan.
Juice Pass
– Be Charge : the Plenitude (ENI) app allows you to find both the charging stations of the group and those of other operators on the map, reaching a total of over 22,000 charging points throughout the country. From the app you can book a charging point for 30 minutes, check the charging status and various statistics. Top-ups can be made through monthly subscriptions, using a prepaid card or a differentiated consumption rate according to the available power.
Be Charge
Is the charging station in the house? Here’s how to save on electricity
If you have already installed a charging station at home ( here an article on the costs necessary to do so) for your electric car, you are wondering how to reduce the cost of recharging.
The answer is simple, especially if you have already noticed that you are paying too much when you take your bill in hand. And it is to change energy supplier .
On the free market there are now dozens of operators who wage war with rates that are sometimes really advantageous, in other cases decidedly less convenient.
To orient yourself, especially if you are not an expert in the sector, you can turn to Tiscali Tagliacosti , a site that compares the offers of the most reliable operators free of charge and without obligation .
Better start saving today!
