5 ways of making your contribution to Chargemap

A peer-to-peer community

The community spirit of our Chargemap members is a real source of pride for us. It’s through all your contributions and the work of our in-house moderators that we can flesh out the data on Chargemap every day. 

So how did the Chargemap database actually get going? It was just 10 years ago that founder Yoann Nussbaumer rounded up a few forerunners of Chargemap to roam the streets of France looking for available charging stations. This lengthy process eventually led to the service being launched. Ever since then, Chargemap’s DNA has been rooted in EV drivers offering mutual help.

Sharing means enhanced charging 

When you run through the app, you will find several features that make it easy to contribute to the community. Every single action can help out another driver out there on the road 💪 Let’s take a look together at the 5 ways of contributing on the Chargemap app.

1. Adding a new charging station

Today, Chargemap references hundreds of thousands of charge points across Europe. This is largely due to our underlying community outlook. 

As soon as you come across a charging station that isn’t referenced on Chargemap, you can simply open the “Contribute” tab, then “Create a charging station”. If you have any doubts, you can consult the following article: Add a charging station on Chargemap.

A form pops up and once you have filled in the information, it is sent and checked by our moderators. Once your contribution is validated, the charging station is ready for posting. You will be informed of this by email. 

2. Modifying information on a charging pool

Along the same lines as adding charging stations, you can also modify a charging pool, either to correct data or add something new. 

To do this, go directly to the details screen for the charging pool. Tap on the “…” button to display all possible actions. Go to “Edit station”, then run down the form until you get to the information you want to change/add. Once you have sent in your contribution, it will pass under the eagle eyes of our moderators. 

3. Posting photos of charging stations 

Checking out photos of charging station before going there can be very useful. Not only do you know what to expect when you get there, but it can also give drivers a visual clue if the charging station isn’t easy to spot. 

To add a photo, simply tap on “Add a photo” on the screen seen above. You can also scroll through all the photos to the last screen. 

To be sure of posting up photos that are helpful for the community, here are a few tips to bear in mind:

• Check the photos already available so you don’t post duplicates unnecessarily
• Take a shot of the whole charging station
• Take a photo of all the charging points and connectors available
• Post a photo of the surrounding area to help locate the charging station if it’s a bit complicated to find

And here are the Don’ts:

• Don’t take a picture of just the vehicle 
• Don’t post a photo of the charging station screen or the vehicle showing the current charge level
• To respect privacy, don’t post up registration plates or faces 
• Don’t share the rates displayed on the charging station as they tend to change regularly and will be different from the Chargemap rates if the station is compatible with the Chargemap Pass
  
  

4. Let the community know when you are charging

At Chargemap, we call this the “Check-in reflex”. It’s quite simply a matter of letting other drivers know that you are in the process of charging.

Once you have finished charging and unhooked your car, you simply close the check-in (unless you have activated the “automatic check-in closure” feature). Your successful charging operation will then be displayed in the community tab.

If you can’t manage to start charging, this will also be displayed in the check-in thread. 

Note that the check-in posted up will display both the connector used and your car model if you have registered it in your profile. For drivers with the same model as you, a “successful” charge can be reassuring.

You should therefore think about adding your car model to your profile by going into the tab Account > Vehicles.

5. Sharing your experience via a comment

This contribution is similar the one above. The app systematically asks if you would like to post up a comment as soon as you carry out a check-in (except for automatic check-ins). 

Actually, it’s best to combine a check-in with a comment to share the most relevant information with the community. As Joëlle tells us driving along in her Renault Zoé, consulting Chargemap comments is part and parcel of her routine when planning hassle-free charging stops. 

But you can also leave a comment without doing a check-in. Simply tap on the “Comment” button at the top of the details screen or on “Post a comment” in the Community tab. 

We hope that you have found this short guide to making Chargemap contributions helpful and that it will inspire you to join in the sharing experience next time you are on the road. 

Beyond the features presented in this article, please note that all your feedback helps us make ongoing improvements to our Chargemap services. Tell us about your browsing experience – whether it’s positive or negative. Our team is on hand and it is a point of honour for us to keep our app as robust and intuitive as humanly possible.  

The Chargemap team would like to take this opportunity to thank all our current contributors for their investment in the Community. 

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