An electric car is no longer a transport from science fiction films about the future, but a very real and environmentally friendly car. So EV charging stations  will be needed. If you can tell the difference between the two sides of the same charger, then problems will not arise for sure. Well, without charging, as they say, you can’t go far.

How to charge an electric vehicle from EV charging stations?

We charge your electric car in a few simple steps. You will need the app installed, the actual car and the charging cable.

1. Find a charging station

Use the TOUCH mobile app to find a charging station. With it, you can select the nearest station and book a port 30 minutes before charging starts. You can use modern ways to recharge electronic vehicles. Open the application; click the “Login” button to register. After registering, you will see a map on which you can choose any convenient charging point on EV charging stations .

• A free station is indicated by a green check mark.
• If a station is already in use or booked, the indication mark is a gray hourglass.
• A red cross means the charging station is being repaired.

If you cannot find stations nearby, use the Plugshare information app, which displays all available stations from different owners. When planning to use public stations, it is important to consider that most of them may not have a built-in charging cable. Therefore, it does not hurt to carry cables and adapters with you.

2. Determine the type of connector at EV charging stations

Before driving to the selected EV charging stations , determine whether the selected station is suitable for your electric vehicle. Most public charging stations are equipped with a standard Type 2 connector, which is a one-stop solution for any electric vehicle model.

Since Type 2 stations do not have a built-in cable, you will need to have your own. The type of cable required depends on the country in which the vehicle is manufactured.

• American or Japanese electric vehicle with Type 1 port. Type 1 to Type 2
• cable is required
• An electric vehicle made in Europe with a Type 2 port
• You need a Type 2 to Type 2 cable
• Moreover, American Tesla with Tesla port
• You need a Type 1 to Type 2 cable and an additional Type 1 to Tesla adapter
• Similarly, American (except Tesla) or Japanese electric car
• Electric vehicle made in Europe-Combo 2
• In other cases, an additional adapter will require

3. Connect to the EV charging stations

Activate the charging in the application and insert the cable in any order. For example, you can plug a cable into an electric car from  EV charging stations  and then start a charging session in the app. To start a charging session in the application, you need to select the charging port and press the “Charge” button.

Sometimes the connector is easy to locate behind the hatch-first find it, and then plug in the cable. It is more difficult with the stations of other operators-each has its own instructions. Moreover, instructions are easy to find in the station description .

4. Pay for the charging session

Can I charge an electric car from a home outlet? What we require for this? How long will this charge take? How much energy will an electric car wind on your meter? Could charging from a home socket be dangerous for the electric vehicle, home and you? Let’s figure it out here.

It is possible, in principle, to charge an electric vehicle from EV charging stations ? An “adult” electric car is, in essence, the same electrical device as, for example, a children’s car with batteries. There is, however, a nuance -the engine of an electric car runs on direct current, and in all main power grids, an alternating current is important.

However, there is no need to worry about this, this problem has resolve. All popular electric vehicles have internal chargers that convert the AC mains current into DC current for storage in the battery. The more powerful the charger, the faster the electric vehicle will be able to “absorb” energy when charging.

How to safely charge an electric vehicle from an outlet?

You will need the appropriate cable:

• On one side-a regular plug-plug for household outlets,
• On the other, a plug that matches your electric vehicle’s connector, usually Type 2,
• For safe charging, the cable must have a protection block.

How much electricity does it take to charge an electric car at home?

Try to charge on  EV charging stations . If you want to charge at home then, pay attention to the battery capacity of the electric vehicle. For popular models, it varies from 24 kWh for older versions of the Nissan Leaf to 100 kWh for the top -end Tesla Model S. It is kilowatt-hours (kWh) that is the main unit of energy consumption. It is they who are shown on the counter.

In order to charge a discharged “to zero” Leaf, you will need about 24 kWh of electricity, which is enough for about 160 km of run. Is it a lot or a little? For comparison, the average Russian spends 2 kWh of electricity per day.

Let’s count approximately. There is a family of 3 people; there is a family car, on average 40 km per day.

How much electricity will be spent if this car is a Leaf?

In a month, the family will “make money” on household needs 180 kW-h, plus on an electric car-approximately the same 180 kW-h from  EV charging stations .

This sounds pretty serious-doubling your electricity bill. However, if you remember that this will completely eliminate the cost of gasoline. This is more expensive than electricity. Moreover, it significantly reduces the cost of car maintenance, the situation is different. Electric cars have proven to be cheaper than their gasoline counterparts in maintenance.