Yay, you've bought your first electric vehicle. What's next?

Congratulations on your exciting new electric journey! Switching from a conventional car to an electric vehicle (EV) can involve a bit of a learning curve. But as with everything in life, you'll soon get used to it.

Charging an electric car isn't more difficult as charging a petrol or diesel car. It's much more environmentally friendly and much quieter. One important difference, however, is charging compared to fuelling. That's why we've put together some helpful suggestions to help you get started with EV charging.

Decide how you like to top up and pay

There are many ways to charge an electric car. The easiest way is to charge it at home or at work, but this is not an option for many people. There may also be times when you need to charge quickly on longer journeys. This is where fast charging comes into play.

The best way to ensure you're always charging with as little fuss and expense as possible is to equip yourself with a charging card that gives you access to a variety of charging networks, including super-fast charging stations like IONITY.

For first-time users of electric vehicles, the most obvious and convenient option is to opt for the charging service of your own car brand. This way, you ensure that the vehicle and charging service are optimally matched if you wish to monitor charging processes via the manufacturer's app or use new technologies such as Plug & Charge. Plug & Charge is available on the IONITY network and allows you to simply plug the chargers cable into your car and charge. You are usually offered contactless payment options via RFID cards or tokens, smartphone apps or even Plug & Charge.

If you're frequently on the road, you can register for IONITY PASSPORT. Subscription options offer you full access to all charging stations in the European IONITY network. You pay a monthly access fee giving you access to a reduced rate per charged kWh. You can activate your subscription with the IONITY App.

If you don't wish to use an app, charging card or RFID chip, there are QR codes on our chargers that allow you to charge and pay via our payment website.

Learn to use chargers effectively

Chargers for electric vehicles operate at different powers and speeds, just like electric cars. It's simple with IONITY: With a charging capacity of 350 kW, our stations are the fastest on the market and exceed the maximum charging capacity of most cars currently on the market. So regardless of the vehicle, you always get the fastest charging available. That's future-proof.

But no matter how much power our chargers deliver, the actual charging speed depends on the voltage and current limits of your electric vehicle. This means that your EV might not be charging faster than 50 kW, although the maximum charging rate of your electric vehicle is 50 kW. By the way: It doesn't speed up as well if you use a 350 kW charging station.

If you'd like to achieve the maximum charging speed of your electric vehicle, you'd start with a state of charge (SOC) below 20% and only charge up to 80%. Good to know: Charging your EV from 80 to 100% takes just as long as from 20 to 80%.

Just charge your EV when the battery is low, charge only as much as you need to reach your next charging stop and end the charging process at 80%, if your route planning allows this.

You can find more tips in our travel guide. A collection of helpful tips that you'd take to heart before you set off and when you arrive at our charging stations. Safe travels!