Car charging APPS

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micklebrow
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:52 pm

Post by micklebrow »

Hi guy's and girls. Picking up the car on Sat and not planning on using too many charging stations, but has anyone got a good list of APPS that they use on there phone please (android).

Thanks
Martyn
ID3 Life Pro Performance 204ps, Mangan Grey

Leccy
Posts: 167
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:08 am

Post by Leccy »

There'll be WeCharge in the car and you can also get a WeCharge card, but in terms of phone apps Zap-Map is useful to show you where and what type the chargers are. There are a plethora of apps for the various networks of chargers where you create an account with a payment card so you can use their chargers from the app, but increasingly chargers accept payment via contactless without the need for an account/app.

It's still shaking out, personally I have accounts and therefore the app for Pod Point, Ionity, BP Pulse, Swarco, Electric Highway and as an Octopus customer for energy I also have an Electric Juice account and card, quite a few charger networks are part of that and if I use their chargers I'm billed for it on my home energy account.
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Smitten
Posts: 254
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:39 pm

Post by Smitten »

Leccy wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:19 am There'll be WeCharge in the car and you can also get a WeCharge card, but in terms of phone apps Zap-Map is useful to show you where and what type the chargers are. There are a plethora of apps for the various networks of chargers where you create an account with a payment card so you can use their chargers from the app, but increasingly chargers accept payment via contactless without the need for an account/app.

It's still shaking out, personally I have accounts and therefore the app for Pod Point, Ionity, BP Pulse, Swarco, Electric Highway and as an Octopus customer for energy I also have an Electric Juice account and card, quite a few charger networks are part of that and if I use their chargers I'm billed for it on my home energy account.
As above plus Shell/New Motion, Chargeplace Scotland, Source London (used this quite a bit as prefer to pay for an overpriced charge than pay overpriced parking!), Osprey. Also have a Chargemap for EU trips. Typical charging issue is that your debit card won't work so good fallback is the app or RFID for same supplier as sometimes that will work. Happened to me at Swarco last week. Good luck. Its a lot simpler than it sounds but roll on the day when Google Pay on your phone works everywhere.
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Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

I'd rather have as few as possible, so to me it depends very much on where you are going regularly.

I'm still using We Charge credit so Ionity and Osprey are top of my list, but neither of them requires an app as I use the VW RFID card for those.

I have also used Gridserve but they take contactless payment so no app required.

I elected to use a BP Pulse a couple of months ago, but that was only to burn credit that I over-eagerly put on an account with them a year ago when I first got my car.

I have the Pod Point app installed, and a bit of credit on that too, but mostly I have that app as I have one of their chargers at home.

Oh, and I have an Octopus Electric Juice card and their app, but I've never used it.

By far the most useful apps are those that help you route plan and find charger status - so ABRP, Zap-Map, Plugshare.

Any others will very much depend on your needs.
Last edited by Deleted User 192 on Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
Warminster id
Posts: 149
Joined: Sun May 02, 2021 2:26 pm

Post by Warminster id »

BP, pod point and electric highway ( now gridserve, contactless) plus we charge in (emergency )
I find others too pricey
But it depends on your personal circumstances and routes you need to take
Life pro performance grey/steels standard car
micklebrow
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2021 9:52 pm

Post by micklebrow »

WOW thanks everyone for the replies. Just didn't want to turn up at my first charge point and needing some sort of app.
ID3 Life Pro Performance 204ps, Mangan Grey
Deleted User 192

Post by Deleted User 192 »

micklebrow wrote: Thu Oct 21, 2021 9:46 am WOW thanks everyone for the replies. Just didn't want to turn up at my first charge point and needing some sort of app.

Do your planning in advance - where you would NEED to stop, where you might WANT to stop, the charger rates, availability and reliability...
beacon39
Posts: 36
Joined: Sat Jul 17, 2021 8:12 pm
Location: Aberdeen

Post by beacon39 »

Zap-Map and ABRP are good but I don't always like their suggested charging points on my planned route. For long journeys my preferred app is WattsUP which displays all the charging points on a map of the route. It also gives an overview in a list showing the distance to each one. This makes it easy to plan stops based on anticipated range. The availability info is not as good as Zap-Map though.
Life Pro Performance, Stonewashed Blue - East Derry alloys - Heat pump
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TimF
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:41 am

Post by TimF »

Thanks all for the info.

As with some other topics, I think it's a shame there's no "Like" feature on these forums. And/or a FAQ where received wisdom could be collated and easily browsed.
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