The hike in electricity prices – what impact on charging rates?

Higher charging prices?

The war in Ukraine is strongly impacting energy prices. Electricity is not spared and prices are rising sharply throughout Europe. Chargemap is regularly in contact with hundreds of partner charging networks and many of them have informed us that they will be integrating the higher costs into their pricing system.

EV drivers must therefore expect increases at public charging stations over the coming months. This phenomenon has already been observed in countries like Belgium. Some Belgian rapid charging stations, for instance, have been subject to price hikes of over 40%.

Within this context, we encourage you more than ever to consult your mobility service provider’s tariffs before every charging session.

Our budget pointers to cope with rising charging prices 

As your travelling companion, Chargemap has a bag full of tips and tricks to help you optimise charging your electric vehicle. Given the current context, we are offering you some advice to control your charging expenses. 

🚙 Check out the charging capacity of your EV 

The basics of charging start with knowing the technical features of your electric vehicle. This allows you to choose the most appropriate charging stations for your EV – with a little help from the filters in the Chargemap app 😉

For example: at a generally more expensive ultra-rapid charging station, there is no point in plugging into a charge point delivering up to 150 kW if your car can only take 50 kW. In fact, you are simply paying for a service you cannot profit from. 

To avoid unpleasant surprises and start off on a sound basis, consult our article on power ratings and charging times.  

🔌 Unplug your EV as soon as the charging session is over 

Some charging stations bill you for your connection time. This means invoicing continues even after your EV has charged up to 100%. Extra costs may also be added to your bill after a certain time to discourage charge point hogging. 

Once again, check all the pricing terms and conditions before charging. And generally speaking, even at a charging station where the bill is based on the energy consumed, please think about freeing up your bay as quickly as possible for another driver 🤝

📈 Go for charges between 20 and 80% 

Battery level is a key factor in achieving optimum charging performance. In fact, the power delivered is usually at its highest between 20 and 80%. Outside this bracket, the charging speed is much slower.

To obtain a better power-to-price ratio, avoid plugging your vehicle into public charging stations when your battery is at its highest or lowest points.

✅ Opt for eco-driving 

Economising your EV battery is another way to clock up savings on your charging sessions. To do this, some well applied eco-driving principles can prove to be a game changer. Driving in eco-mode, using regenerative braking and adopting a smooth driving style are habits which will allow you to drive further before recharging.

What about Chargemap Pass prices?

A quick reminder – Chargemap is a mobility service provider (MSP), connecting EV drivers with public charging networks.

Just like other MSPs, Chargemap will have to take on board any increases applied by partner networks in terms of the Chargemap Pass rates. We wish to remain an independent business and that’s why we simply cannot absorb variations in electricity tariffs into our own costs.  

If you use the Chargemap Pass, don’t forget to consult the rates on your mobile app or our website before every charging session.

The Chargemap team hopes this article has helped to clarify the situation and encourage you to adopt the right attitude to keep a check on your charging budget in this highly specific context. Please note that one of our hobbyhorses for 2022 is to negotiate charging rates for the Chargemap Pass. Our team is currently investing a lot of time and energy in this goal to provide you with an optimum charging experience at an attractive price 💪