A charging card for your electric car: which one do you choose?
With subscription or pay-as-you-go
There are two types of charging passes: with or without a subscription. Which is best to choose depends mainly on how often you use a public charging station.
- With subscription: do you often charge your car at a public charging station? If so, it is wise to take out a subscription with a fixed monthly fee. This way you do not have to pay a starting rate per charging session, and are therefore cheaper in the end. Sometimes the price per kWh is also lower with a subscription.
- Without subscription: do you have a charging station at home, and do you only charge your car occasionally at a public charging station? You will probably be better off choosing a charge card without a subscription, also known as a pay-as-you-go charge card. In this case, you usually pay a starting rate each time you charge your car, but no monthly amount. The starting rate varies between charging card and charging station providers: so always check the rate in advance, there are several apps for this.
Compare charging pass providers
There are many different charging card providers, each with their own rates. Some providers charge a relatively high starting rate but offer a low rate per kWh. With other providers it is the other way around: a low starting rate, but higher costs per kWh. So before you make a choice, it is best to compare all providers and their rates for the energy supplied. That way you will know exactly who is the cheapest for you.
It is also important to look specifically at the rates of a particular provider at the charging stations you use most. Charging rates sometimes differ from one charge point to another: you may therefore find that one charge card enables you to charge cheaper at one charge point than at another. Sometimes it is wise to apply for several (free) charge cards, so you can always use the one with which you pay the lowest rate.
Traveling abroad
Do you regularly drive your electric car abroad? The number of charging points in Europe is increasing, making it easier to take your EV on the road.
Before leaving, it is important to check that your charge card will work in the countries you are traveling through or staying in. In the app of your charge card provider you can often easily see where you can use your card. Also check carefully that no different rates apply, so you don’t suddenly have to pay more than expected. Tip: take several charge cards with you when you travel, to make sure you can use them everywhere.
Hit the road with your EV
Do you have a new electric car? If so, it is important to find out which charging card(s) you are applying for. That way you avoid incurring unnecessarily high costs or not being able to charge at a point near you. Once you have arranged the right charging cards? Then you can hit the road carefree!
Also read: This is how your electric car battery will last longer