Your first charge, start to finish

No prepayment, no subscription, no card to collect in the post. Find the station, plug in, pay for that session, drive away.

Before you start

You need the app and an account, see Getting started. Check whether the station has its own cable attached, because if it does not, you need your own Type 2 cable, see Choosing the right plug.

Step by step

1. Open the station. Find it on the Map and tap Charge, or scan the QR code on the EV Charging Point.

2. Select the plug. A charger often has more than one, and they look identical. The app lists them by name, with the type, the power and the price of each. Pick the one you are standing at.

3. Check the price and the status. The card shows the cost per kWh and whether the plug is Available. If it says something else, see What each status means.

4. Press Charge Now.

5. Choose how to pay. Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, or your Token Wallet balance if you have one. Card is the simpler choice for occasional charging, see Ways to pay.

6. Pay. With a card you enter the details in the secure payment page. EV Loader never sees or stores your card number. Your card is saved for next time, so this is a one-off.

The amount you see here is a temporary hold, not the price of your charge. You are billed for the energy you actually use and the rest is released. See The €35 temporary hold.

7. Plug in, car first. Connect the cable to your car, then to the charger. Push it in firmly until it clicks. If a plastic flap covers the socket on the charger, push it down with the plug.

8. Wait for it to start. The charger goes to Preparing and then to Charging. This takes a few seconds, occasionally up to half a minute.

9. Lock the car and go. You do not need to stay with it. You can watch the session, and stop it, from the app.

When you come back

Unplug from the car first, then from the charger. Removing the cable ends the session, and the final amount is worked out at that point. See Stop charging and unplug.

If it does not start

The usual cause is a cable that is not fully home, or the wrong plug selected out of two identical ones. Take the cable out of both ends, put it back firmly, and try again. If it still will not go, see Charging will not start.