Where can I charge up?
Electric mobility is set to play a growing part in our day-to-day lives. It could possibly change yours soon too. Then you can shake off old habits and you’ll find that many things have become easier. For instance, you can charge your electric car while you sleep, work or go shopping. The many charging stations available when you are out and about or options at home will supply you with power around the clock. Sounds good? It is!
Filling up at home.
Your electric car can charge while you sleep.
Imagine getting into your electric vehicle in the morning and starting the day full of energy. While you’ve been resting overnight, your car has also been recharging. All you need for this is an optional mains charging cable. It enables you to charge at any domestic three-pin socket.
A charging station in your own home.
- Charging from a socket: Charging your electric car at home is easier than you think. Simply plug the charging cable into the socket and plug the charging connector into your vehicle. Lock your car with the key and the charging process will start straight away.
- Charging from a Wallbox: If you have a house with a garage or car port, the easiest solution is to install an optional Wallbox. The charging process is just as simple, but it is much more convenient and faster than using a domestic socket: simply take the connector, plug it in, lock the car, unlock again and you’re done .The power is of course taken from your domestic supply and billed as usual via your electricity provider. Greater convenience and speed – perfect for you.
If you are renting rather than living in your own house or if you own an apartment in a shared building and park on the street out front, charging may at first seem more difficult as we are certainly a long way from having a public charging infrastructure in every residential area at the moment. The easiest option is therefore to charge at work if there is a suitable charging infrastructure available in the car park. The advantage of this option is that if you are an average commuter (For example, travelling a total distance of around 50 km a day), you will only need to charge once a week. Ideally, you can do this is in the morning or afternoon while you are at work.
Charging at work.
Your electric car can charge while you work.
Increasing numbers of employers are gradually electrifying their vehicle fleets and company cars. Many employers are setting up charging infrastructures and are now offering their staff the option to charge their electric cars or plug-in hybrids at a company charging station. This is changing mobility. Perhaps your employer already provides charging points in the company car park? If you commute short distances of around 50 km a day, you will only need to charge your electric car once a week. The ideal solution is to do this during your working hours.
Go shopping while the car is charging.
Run your errands with peace of mind. In the meantime, your car is charging up.
Time is so valuable these days. Why not use the time spent charging to run some errands? You could go shopping, for example. Increasing numbers of supermarkets, shopping centres and even furniture stores are gradually setting up their own charging infrastructures. This means that you can not only cover the daily charging needs of your electric car (sometimes even for free), but you can also make good use of the time while your vehicle is charging.
Take the next exit to charge.
On the motorway.
As well as the many government incentives and initiatives in Ireland, energy providers are on board with e-mobility too. Enabling the electrification of transport is a key part of ESB’s Brighter Future strategy and the company has expressed commitment to ongoing support and investment in this area. The ESB currently have almost 1,100 public charge points across the island of Ireland, including fast chargers along main inter-urban routes. The infrastructure North and South of the Border provides public EV charging in most communities of 1,500 people or more. ESB is currently looking at developments in charging technology, including the feasibility of super-fast charging hubs. These hubs would cater for two to eight vehicles charging simultaneously and offer drivers higher charging speeds, resulting in reduced charging times and faster journeys. Additionally, the Volkswagen Group is working to build this kind of charging infrastructure as part of the IONITY joint venture that has been set up with other automotive manufacturers. A number of IONITY charging points are planned for Ireland in 2019.
We Charge - Volkswagen’s new charging service.
Your perfect companion for every trip.
We Charge will offer you direct access to a public charging network with charging opportunities across Europe - comfortably via your smartphone using Volkswagen’s We Connect app1. Authentication at charging stations will be granted by the We Charge charging card (RFID), via the app (QR code) or through Plug & Charge with a comprehensive coverage in place - as the charging station already identified you through your e-car.
We Charge – Find. Charge. Go.
Meeting pressure, distracted by your kids or the never-ending construction site – there are many reasons for losing overview of your charging status. Fortunately, We Charge keeps an eye at all times on your charging options and displays available charging stations on your navigation system, via the app or web. HPC charging stations (high-performance-charging) from IONITY are highlighted. Hence, long distance trips are easy to handle – at least from a charging point of view.