21 April 2023
E-mobility

Electric car charging: how charging stations work

How electric car charging works with Ewiva: the simple steps to fill up with energy… and be ready to go!

Choosing electric vehicles means embracing change. As several studies have shown, in fact, electric mobility significantly reduces environmental impact compared to combustion cars: climate-changing emissions are reduced, local emissions typical of combustion are reduced to zero, and noise pollution is reduced.
A change that is now possible thanks to the constant expansion of the public electric recharging infrastructure in Italy, which is becoming more and more capillary from the North to the South of the country: by the end of 2022, there will be a general and significant growth of the public network throughout the country, particularly with regard to fast and ultra-fast stations. The joint venture set up by Enel X Way and Volkswagen Group with the aim of accelerating the development of electric mobility in Italy plays a key role in this scenario. Let us now see how to recharge an electric car.

 

Electric car charging stations: how it works

Electric cars are recharged by means of special power distribution devices that allow the battery to be recharged. There are different types of charging devices: direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC), and of varying power. Furthermore, we can distinguish between private and public charging stations. The former are located in private spaces, such as garages of homes, company car parks, shopping centres, restaurants, hotels and so on. Public inlets, on the other hand, are located at public spaces, such as roads, public car parks, motorway rest areas, etc. Moreover, they are often medium- or large-sized infrastructures, which allow more vehicles to be recharged simultaneously and at higher power levels, thus reducing the dwell time for recharging.

 

How to recharge an electric car with Ewiva

Ewiva, acting as Charging Point Operator (CPO), provides the charging infrastructure and does not have its own App from which the service can be purchased directly. To recharge an electric car with Ewiva, in fact, it is necessary to have first subscribed an offer with a charging service provider (MSP), among those interoperable with Ewiva. To date, more than 30 partnerships are already active and the goal is to constantly grow the network, thus making the charging experience more and more accessible to Italian and foreign e-drivers. The list of MSPs enabled to the Ewiva network is available at

Below are the few simple steps required to recharge an electric vehicle with Ewiva:

  1. Search for the nearest Ewiva charging point via your Mobility Service Provider (MSP) application or via the map on the Ewiva website or Google Maps.
  2. Once you have reached the station, to start charging you need to choose the outlet and log in. This can be done in two different ways: either by selecting the chosen outlet via the app, or by bringing the RFID card close to the station reader and selecting the on-screen connector.
  3. Now connect the selected cable to the vehicle (it will be the one illuminated in blue) and that’s it: in a few seconds charging will begin and the charger housing will turn green.
  4. Once the desired charge level has been reached, end the charging session. Again, this can be done either from the app or via the screen of the charging station, by bringing the RFID card close to the reader and clicking on finish. It is also possible to end the charging session directly from the car. Since every car has different features, it is always useful to consult the owner’s manual or inquire with a trusted dealer to find out if your vehicle is enabled for this feature.
  5. Finally, unplug the cable from the car and put it back in the housing to free up the occupied charging point in good time. It is very important to move the vehicle as soon as charging is complete, both to avoid penalties and to allow other e-drivers to charge as well.

 

Which vehicles can recharge at Ewiva stations?

The Ewiva charging infrastructure is open to all car brands and manufacturers. Regardless of vehicle make, it is therefore possible to access Ewiva’s charging stations.
From a technical point of view, since Ewiva’s charging network is a high-power direct current (DC) network, it is necessary for the vehicle to be enabled for DC charging (also known as Mode 4 charging), with sockets that are compatible with those available at Ewiva stations. The sockets available at Ewiva stations are generally CCS Type 2, in line with the European standard and common to the largest number of vehicles. However, CHAdeMO type sockets are also available at some stations..

 

 

For other curiosities or questions about the Ewiva recharging service please consult our FAQs