These six things are handy to know when you charge your electric car

It can be a bit scary the first time you charge an electric car, but you will soon find it is very simple and easy to learn. 

1. Don’t use non-original equipment when charging 

This can increase the risk of fire.At medium-fast charging stations, you need to bring your own cable in order to charge. These rarely have fixed cables because different electric cars use different plugs, even if the actual outlet at the charging station is the same. 

Most medium-fast public charging stations use Mode 3 Type 2, which is the latest standard for charging electric cars. So you need a Mode 3 cable which is compatible with your car. This cable comes with most new electric cars, but you can also purchase it from your dealer or from other suppliers who sell charging cables. It is worth checking with your dealer that any equipment you buy is approved for your electric car. 

Incidentally, this does not apply to fast charging, as these charging stations have fixed cables.And remember:Charge faster, safer and easier when you charge at home by installing a home charging station instead of using a charging cable with a normal socket. 

2. Check whether the charging station is busy or temporarily out of service 

You can check this by going into Fortum Charge Drive’s charging app for iPhone and Android. Here you will find the whole charging network for both Kople and Recharge. 

3. Do not occupy public charging points unnecessarily 

Avoid charging for longer than necessary, and never park in a charging area without actually charging. In short, follow the instructions at the charging station. 

4. The fastest and easiest way to charge is to use our charging app, or our charging chip 

Start and stop charging, or order a charging chip directly via ourcharging app With Fortum Charge & Drive’s app or charging chip, you can use the whole charging network for both Recharge and Kople. 

5. It does not take the same amount of time to charge all types of electric car 

Among other things, the charging time is affected by the temperature outside and the temperature in the battery (the colder it is, the slower the charging) and how full the battery is.Above 80 per cent of the battery capacity, there will not be much difference between a fast charger and a normal or medium-fast charger. 

6. When you plug in, it is the car that decides how fast it charges 

It is the car that decides how quickly it should be charged. The charging station can offer a certain amount of electricity, then it is up to the car to decide whether it can make use of that amount.