01/16/2015

Now, we do have our own 22 kWh charging station, but we are planning to use the ZOE as our daily driver. To achieve that, we of course will travel outside our "comfort zone". This rises the question, how and where to charge? What infrastructure is already out there?

Electro mobiliy is still a bit like the wild west. A standard public infrasctructure is not really establised yet. We see lots of encouraging projects and island solutions. But every solution uses its own system. This goes from complete open and free of payment usage, over free of payment usage with access card, up to cross Europe payment systems.

Why it is not possible just to pay my charging at any station by credit card is a bit of a mystery to me, but that is how it is in these early stages.
 

For the Munich area we organized the charging card of the "Stadtwerke München" (local energy supplier). You can only do that, if you already are a Stadtwerke customer. The access card cost a one time fee of 50 Euros (collect in person, pay cash) and we can charge the car at around 20 charging stations in Munich for free. With this card we can also use other stations within the "Ladenetz" network. So my travelling in and around Munich seems to be safe ...

For longer distances I got us the access card from "The new Motion". With this card you can use different systems of different providers. Possibly from Amsterdam to Vienna (if you have time :-)). I'm very interested, if and how we are going to use this card. The online registration was easy and straight forward. Though I'm still waiting for the activation.

Experienced e-drivers advised me to also get a "BEW" contract, because with that you can use RWE-roaming without monthly fees. There are not so many RWE stations around here in Bavaria, so I will think about that a bit longer.

Some call it a card jungle in electro mobility. I'm looking forward to our charging adventures ...