Which charging cards to choose for your electric car 

Newsletter Watt Else

Top 3 best charging badges for electric car in 2023

Electric cars represent the future. They do not work in diesel or gasoline. Which reduces air pollution. The solution is electric recharge.

Given the evolution of these cars on the market, a system of charging stations has been set up. This is the equivalent of the petrol station network. To recharge the electric car, you need a charging card.

What are the Best Recharge Cards for electric car in 2023? What are the advantages of each of them ? How to get them ? We invite you to know more in this article.

Which recharge card to choose for electric car ?

To recharge your electric car, use a charging card. However, there are different kinds. The latter each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The Borneslib charging card, the first best charging card for electric car

Terminalslib is undoubtedly one of the best charging cards for electric car. It offers many advantages for users. First, this card is compatible with a very large number of charging stations. The goal is to allow drivers to recharge their electric vehicles, regardless of where they are.

This compatibility does not only stop at the national level. Whatever the country in which the driver ends up with his vehicle, he can easily recharge it. We must not forget that in addition to representing a large network of terminals, the latter provide a quality service. The terminals linked to the best electric car charging card indeed undergo many updates. The goal is to offer a better user experience each time.

Then Borneslib is also considered to be the best charging card to electric car Because of the user history. This is an option that allows its user to have access to the history of all its recharges. It allows him to download his invoices as well as all his different recharges.

It should be noted that this feature is only available on Borneslib badge. It’s a great way to fight fraud. It is indeed not possible that another person uses the driver’s pass without the latter realizing it. In addition to being the best electric car charging card, it is also the safest and most secure.

ChargeMap Pass

ChargeMap Pass is leaving for the three best charging cards for electric car. This is a so -called universal charging card. This badge is therefore also compatible with a large number of charging stations. This facilitates operations, regardless of the country. It is very practical in certain regions where the number of terminals is limited.

It should also be noted that ChargeMap Pass allows you to have access to certain networks in particular. These are the fastest and most efficient charging networks. The goal is to allow the driver to quickly recharge his car in all circumstances.

What makes this badge one of the best charging cards for electric car is undoubtedly its ecological side. This pass guarantees recharge from green energy. The latter generally comes from a wind or solar power plant. This is therefore the solution to preserve the environment by fighting against non -renewable energies.

In addition, like most of the best charging cards for electric car, this pass does not require a subscription before use. Payments are therefore made at the time of recharge.

The Izivia Pass

The Izivia pass is also among the best charging cards for electric car. Like the others, it is a universal badge. It allows you to recharge on more than 100,000 charging stations throughout Europe. It is ideal for filling up with energy along the way during a trip for example.

In addition, this charging card for electric car is associated with a mobile application. The latter allows access to a multitude of features. The goal is to allow the controller to monitor their consumption and geocate the recharge points. All compatible charging stations are indeed indicated in the app and accessible by GPS.

The application also allows you to see your invoices and pay them. Payment is made according to one of the many modes offered. The other advantage is that the subscription for this pass is optional. It is therefore possible to use the badge with or without subscription beforehand. The choice of subscribing or not therefore comes back to the user.

How to get a card for charging station ?

Everyone wants to get the best charging card for electric car in 2023. Fortunately, the steps to follow to get there are quite simple. There are also four. The goal is to simplify the task to the driver so that he is quickly to choose his card. This is essential to enjoy the public charging stations once outside his house.

The first option is to request during the purchase of your electric vehicle. Most dealers donate one of the best electric car charging cards to their customers. The goal is to retain them, but also to allow them to recharge in order to make the most of their automobile. If the card is not directly offered, it is possible to request it to obtain it at the time of purchase.

The second method is to use the card supplier mobile application. It is used in the recharge process, but also to place card controls. Just connect to your account and then launch the command. It is then necessary to fill out a form by following the various instructions and validate once the operation is completed. It only remains to go into a agency recover your card.

It is also possible to do so by going to the card supplier website. This is the third option. Depending on the type of card sought, just launch the search on the net. Suppliers for the best electric car charging cards are most often accessible by this channel. After connecting with your identifiers, just place the card command. Once again, you must enter certain information in a form and recover your card later.

The last possibility is to place your order by phone. Suppliers for the best electric car charging card most often have an assistance service for the customer. The agents of this service are available at any time. Just dial the number and place the command. Depending on the delivery method chosen, the card will be shipped to the customer’s home in the days that follow.

Where are the free charging stations ?

There are many places on French territory which have free charging stations for electric car. These are among others:

• large supermarkets and shops everywhere on the territory (Super U, Leroy Merlin, Lidl);
• stations;
• cinemas.

The purpose of these establishments is to best satisfy customers by providing them with exclusive services. Subscriptions to the best charging cards for electric car are already taken into account by brands. It only remains to recharge for free.

What subscription for charging station ?

The choice of subscription for charging point varies from one card to another. Indeed, each supplier makes their own offer with the features and the amount that goes with. In some cases, the subscription is also optional. However, it must be recognized that in general, for the best charging cards for electric car, you must make an annual subscription.

Price of the best charging badges for electric car

Charging badges

Price

Which charging cards to choose for your electric car ?

Badges or charging cards remain one of the essential accessories to have when you go to the electric car. Even if mobile applications can replace them on certain terminals, badges will always be able to help you out. Then, which or which ones choose ?

If some public charging stations have bank card payment systems, this solution is quite rare in France outside the highways. More generally, motorists circulating in electric vehicle must have in their possession to launch the recharge: either the operator’s application on their smartphone, or a compatible RFID badge. We can classify charging badges into several categories: those restricted to a type of local network (or a terminal operator), more universal badges and manufacturers charging cards.

The charging networks are numerous and the prices applied are very variable depending on the payment solution envisaged. Here are our tips for not being caught up when you connect to the charging stations in France, as in neighboring countries.

How to choose your charging card from the different solutions ?

Universal recharge cards or badges are the Swiss knives to systematically slip into your wallet (or car). The more the charging cards cover different terminal networks, the more you have a quiet mind when you hit the road, without having planned the journey in the smallest detail.

Using a charging card also makes it easier to follow the different expenses related to recharge, this will be particularly useful for professionals who make electric travel in the workplace.

It is possible to choose a single mobility operator badge, but some users collect several. For what ? Simply because all charging cards do not always cover all existing networks, whether there can be a punctual breakdown or incompatibility, and especially that recharge is not always negotiated at the same price. The most provident and most economical have therefore gotten into the habit of traveling with several cards and/or charging badges, even if now many terminals are equipped with QR code allowing to pay the act.

What are the main badges to know ?

ChargeMap Pass

The ChargeMap badge is certainly the best known and the most widespread in France. It will cost you € 19.90 for purchase, but without subscription then. It works with a large number of networks in France, however it also extends abroad. More than 350,000 terminals are accessible with this badge. It is the essential of the recharge. However, charging rates are not always the most advantageous compared to other badges on certain terminals.

ULYS Electric badge

ULYS Electric badge is the recharging card of the Vinci motorway giant. It is sold at a price of € 19.90, but is often on promotion around € 15. ULYS Electric badge is associated with an app that allows you to find a charging station. In addition, Vinci offers 10 % reduction on the electricity bill.

Freshmile

For € 4.99 in acquisition, the Freshmile Pass gives access to a network of more than 200,000 charges in France and Europe. It offers fairly attractive prices on the terminals of the network of the same name, but not systematically on all compatible terminals.

Shell Recharge / New Motion

The Shell Recharge card covers 300,000 international charging stations. The card is free, however the operator invoices a fixed commission of € 0.35 at each launch of load (up to € 7 per month for France). Shell specifies that all charging stations in France, not operated by Shell, apply standardized prices, a fixed price per kWh available in the application.

Fulli-Ex-Kiwhipas

The Fulli charging card replaces the formerly named Kiwhipass solution since January 2023. This badge retains the principle of the two commercial formulas: either a card at € 19 and then € 0.70 per load session, or a € 24/year subscription and load sessions at 0.35 €. While the Kiwhipass announced to cover a network of 43,000 charges, the Fulli card now covers 200,000 terminals.

Plugsurfing

The operator Plugsurfing offers a card at € 9.95. The operator then charges service costs up to 10%, in addition to the load session. The network covered by plugsurfing is first developed with our German neighbors, it allows you to connect to more than 400,000 terminals in 30 European countries. This is a solution used by several car manufacturers who offer their own charging card.

There are many other terminal operators and mobility operators who can offer compatible cards with many networks in France, like abroad:

This article lists above all the best known and more used, but depending on your location and the type of terminals, which you usually use, other cards can be relevant.

The manufacturers’ charging cards are interesting ?

The various manufacturers of electric vehicles followed the movement and almost all offer a charging card on behalf of their brand. This is a way to facilitate the grip of a first electric vehicle and retain the customer.

The first year, depending on the purchase of an electric vehicle, the manufacturer’s charging card is generally free. At some manufacturers, the period offered can be longer, as at Porsche which offers service for 3 years. After this period, several manufacturers (BMW, Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen, etc.) offer monthly subscription offers with several levels of service, for prices between 5 and 18 €/month.

Is there an interest in going through these charging cards offered by the manufacturers ? It all depends on your use and the formula associated with the card. If you frequently make long journeys using Ionity stations, the brands that are part of the ionity consortium offer an advantageous price for this recharge. This can be worth it, despite the monthly subscription around 13 to 15 €/month (following the free period).

However, if you only have a very punctual need for this type of recharge on public limits, do the calculation over the year before committing to a monthly subscription formula.

How much is an electric car charging card ?

You will understand, there are almost as many possible rates as any solutions offered. To remember the essentials, we could classify the offers in three categories:

• If the charging card is free, the operator generally catches up on the commissions or costs attached to each recharge that you will make on partner networks.
• If the card is linked to a subscription formula (for example: card of certain manufacturers), you must have preferential rates on recharging on certain networks, otherwise the offer has only limited interest in relation to to other solutions.
• If the card is paying, the commissions on your load sessions will be less, but the networks offer different rates negotiated to the various mobility operators.

It is therefore the frequency of the use of these charging cards that must define the formula (s) best suited to your recharging need.

The load -permit application to avoid unpleasant surprises

Unlike service stations, the recharge price is only rarely indicated on the terminal and there may be surprises. It is still a specificity of the electric vehicle compared to thermal vehicles, but the same charging station can see its price vary according to the badge used (excluding any commission of the operator in addition).

The price difference is sometimes minimal, on the other hand in some cases, the billed prices go from simple to triple without really that we know the justification of such a difference. So, before you connect to a terminal that you do not know, a small verification can be useful.

To check the price that will be billed to you, you can use the application of your usual charging card. If you use several cards to take advantage of the best price possible, then we recommend that you download the application or consult the Chargeprice site.

For each terminal, loads list the estimated prices according to the badges. Even if the price list and the actual amount of the load are not exhaustive and contractual, this gives a good indication. You can also freely contribute to improving the information disseminated on the application by reporting errors. This is a tip to know for those looking to save money when recharging their electric car.

Watch out for the tariff conditions of certain terminals

It is better to take the time to read the small lines on the pricing of the load. For electric vehicles, several elements can affect the price of a recharge:

• A invoicing per minute or the kilowatt hour,
• Price differences between the terminals of different powers for the same operator,
• Place occupancy costs if you stay after the end of your charge,
• Prices that fluctuate depending on the schedules or durations of the load.

Recharging on a public terminal may look like a hostile jungle. It is better to be well prepared to avoid being surprised. The generalization of “plug & load” (plug in & load), as the tesla drivers can experience to superchargers, will certainly participate in facilitating and homogenizing the question of recharge. In the meantime, it’s up to you to choose the charging badges that are suitable for your use.

Newsletter Watt Else

You wish to receive the newsletter Watt else In your mailbox ?

The future of Numerama is coming soon ! But before that, we need you. You have 3 minutes ? Answer our investigation

Certain links of this article are affiliated. we’ll explaine everything here.