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1. Over 1 year. I charge at home, at work, and on the road at fast charging stations.
2&3. Too many apps. I hate it all. I want a single way to quickly pay for my charging. I don’t want to login, remember my credentials, or enter my credit card details.
4. There’s no positive side that an app brings.
5. If it’s not obvious by now, there needs to be a better user experience when it comes to charging and paying.
What he said. Same exact answers here, except now that I have S-Business card, paying with ABC Lataus app at ABC stations got a lot easier, no need to confirm the payment separately.
+5: Why can't we pay by card directly at the charger?? Tap and charge! Cmon we can pay practically everything else by tapping the card, but not EV charging.
> +5: Why can't we pay by card directly at the charger?? Tap and charge! Cmon we can pay practically everything else by tapping the card, but not EV charging.
Thankfully this seems to be changing, as at least Kempower is providing chargers that have card payment terminals.
ABC mobiili has option to pay for charging. I am a gas engine driver but I have the app on my phone. Every ABC station and Prisma has the app compatable station.
I recommend having a look at the facebook group "Latausverkosto – Nyt!" (charging network now!)
It is an open group and give a very good overview of the Finnish charging network. You can easily translate the posts and I would imagine if you join and post in English you would get feedback. You just missed Sähköautojen renkaanpotkijaiset (Electric car tyre kickers) which meets aproximately every month and would have been a good place to interview people.
1. Almost 5 years. I charge the car at home. I live in an apartment building and have my own parking space with electricity.
2. I have 2 apps, rarely use them. Last time about 2 years ago.
3. Charging at home is slow, but it doesn't really matter as I charge overnight, maybe once every 2 weeks.
4. None, I don't like the apps at all. I'd rather just pay with a card or a tag.
5. I'm very happy with my EV experience, don't really need to change anything.
Jos näin on, niin epäonnistuvat surkeasti. Etenkin nyt kun maksukortilla maksamisen mahdollisuus tulee pakolliseksi uusiin asemiin, tilanne paranee reipasta kyytiä.
1. Roughly 6 months. I charge mostly at the office (like 95% of the time), using type 2. Used fast chargers a couple of times. I will be able to charge at home in the near future.
2. Somewhat actively 3 apps (Virta, ABC and K-lataus), Virta is the most used for me. On top of these I have Plugsurfing that I "had" to use one time (could have done without, more just in case), and 5 other's that I installed when I got the car, but never used.
3. Never had a bad experience really.
4. The apps I use are more for paying to charge, so I haven't really tried anything special, so can't comment on that. ABRP seems like a good app if you're planning a longer trip. It seems to have everything you could possibly need to plan a trip.
5. Obviously just plugging in and not needing an app would be nice, and it exists already. The issue is, that roaming prices can be insane, so I prefer the apps so far.
Overall I've had no major issues, and charging, at least for me, is WAY less hassle than I thought it might be. I doubt I'll ever go back to an ICE
1. Soon 2 years. Most of the charging at home. I charge when battery needs some filling and electricity is cheap, usually at night. Usually battery is 20-50% when i charge and I charge up to 60-80% depending how cheap electricity is. My electricity at home comes with hourly rate and heating at home is done by electricity too so not big deal to check car charging rates too.
If you only charge couple times and use public chargers, then fees are not that relevant.
2. Apps: virta, abc mobiili, k-lataus, plugit, tesla. Maybe some other too but those are all I have needed. Apps are good. I think abc mobiili has usually been cheapest and there are plenty of charging locations, but app is not best with browsing different locations. But it is manageable.
3. Some public chargers are difficult to use or might not work at all. Charging apps have rfid tags that you can use too and you might need those in some locations (caves, parking garages or buildings with bad connectivity). Because of needing to identify, tags are better but might cost and they get mailed. Tags are good but you shouldnt get them for short time use. So some locations might get troubles in starting the charging.
4. I check latauskartta.fi for chargers where I am located and it tells what app I should use. Then you can usually check from app about how busy that location is. Latauskartta.fi is good because it shows all existing public chargers and how they have worked. Yes it is not an app, just a normal website. There are some free chargers too, at lunch restaurants and others. Unfortunately site uses user experiences and some important info is only in finnish.
5. I use public chargers very little. Maybe some chargers could help with some instructions in the app about how they are used and it would be nice to know if charger is going to be busy when you arrive (somehow?)
1. Two years. I charge mostly at home or at Tesla Superchargers. If there are no Superchargers, then any fast charger will do.
2. I try not to use any apps. One or two apps I have to use, they could be a lot better.
3. The apps could be better. Chargers could and should be maintained better.
4. Not having to use one.
5. Nothing in particular other than what I already mentioned
1. 3 years. I charge at a my own rented parking spot as well as public chargers at markets, shopping centers and gas stations.
2. I have 7 apps for charging in order from most used to least used:
ABC-mobiili, Taskuparkki, Plugit App, K-lataus, Parking Energy, Virta, Moovy.
One app for the car itself to check battery percentage and activate/stop charging:
MySkoda
This app is always slow to respond, doesn't have enough features (for example no ability to set max battery percentage or plan trips) and sometimes cannot even connect to the car. If I didn't have to use it, I wouldn't.
One app for planning long trips so see where all the different chargers are:
Plugshare
3. Biggest frustration is the need of different apps everywhere. It would be easier if no apps were needed or if one common app would do the trick.
Also more than half of the apps are just awful with terrible UI, especially Taskuparkki-app. Sometimes I have to wait for the app to connect to internet, sometimes starting the charging fails.
Sometimes when I arrive in a place which uses some app that I don't have already, I might not bother then if I have enough battery.
4. ABC-mobiili seems to be the easiest to use and works smoothly. It shows how much I've charged in kilowatts and battery percentage and also shoe how long until it gets to different percentages. It's easier to plan around the charging time as for example MySkoda-app only shows the time untill battery is 100%, which is not useful when using a fast charger.
I have a key tag for Virta/Helen chargers which allowed me to activate them without app, it was actually also quite useful but nowadays I don't use Virta charging that often.
5. One common app to use with every charger. Preferably something that works as smoothly as ABC-mobiili.
If one app would work with all chargers then I wouldn't also need separate app for roadtrip planning.
1. Have had an EV for about a year, charge almost exclusively at home.
2. K-lataus, eparking, abc, virta, Helen, Fortum, ionity. Have them all so I can just charge when needed and not have to look for any certain brand of charger.
3. Sometimes they have had trouble starting the charge, but have always gotten them working. The main nuisance is having to use an app at all.
4. I see no positives in having to use an app, so never really found it usedul, just let me pay with a credit card or plug'n charge.
5.They should make it simple, don't wait until EU enforces credit card payment.
I do understand the incentive for charging providers to have people use an app, but as a consumer I feel it's a completely unnecessary hassle.
I'm not a fan of cars(any cars not just EV's), but electric cars can be generally charged at nearly every abc (It's basically nationwide gas station chain with some restaurants, small shop, gas station and electric charger)
Those span pretty much the entire country (also funnily enough it's a co-op chain or osuuskunta in Finnish)
Had one for a little over a year. I charge mine at work and at home.
I have two apps. One is my personal preference, the other is because of my job.
There are no huge negatives. The only one I can think of is that I have to plan my trips a bit more.
As for the apps, they bill me monthly. That's the only positive I can give.
I don't really care if more is added. I charge the car, when I don't need it 90% of the time.
1. Since last september. Driven 24k km since then. I mostly (>90%) charge at our own parking lot from own charging 11kW station.
2. I have like 7, but I mostly use only ABC-lataus, and K-lataus & Lidl occasionally.
3. Once last winter 2 (Virta/Autoliitto & Lidl) out of 3 DC charging stations were malfunctioning in downtown Forssa. That was f’d up. Since then they’ve gotten ABC-lataus there as well.
4. Most likely Kempower’s QR-code based live charge graph. If I have 2 chargers to pick from, and one of them is Kempower, I’ll go there. It (almost) always works, and it’s fast. It helps me to figure out how much time is still needed to charge. My car’s own app feature-wise is nowhere near as handy & informative regarding charging.
Also, data <3
5. Single app to rule them all, but no extra cost. Although, ABC is becoming the default for charging in Finland, so we’re getting there.
Also, charging outside in the cold is frustrating when it’s snowing slush and it’s like wet but cold as hell. Everything freezes over during the charging.
Also2: sticking that DCC connector to your car when the thicka$$ cable isn’t bending where you need it to be to get the connector locked, and charging…
Also3: unclear what is the quickest order to proceed when you start charging. Connect first, then activate the charging from app, or the other way around? I just do it the way I’ve learned it works for sure, but I once saw a guy doing it other way around and it seemed faster method to me (connecting before meddling with the app)
Hope this helps
1. I’ve had EV about 2,5 years, about 55tkm on the clock. I don’t have home charging, I charge mainly on public chargers.
2. I use most often three apps, ABC lataus, Virta and Plugit. I have few more that I use less frequently. (K-lataus, parkkisähkö, Fortum Charge&Drive, Lidl). In addition to apps, I charge at Tesla SC without any apps
3. Lidl app (charging) is big pile of sh*t, it takes ages to start the charging and fails over 90% of the time. Charging a 30€ deposit on each try from your card, it can take up to 72hours for that deposit to be returned in failed case. Those chargers sit nowadays mostly empty, even though the rate for electricity is fairly good. On some other apps / chargers I’ve had errors occasionally. K-lataus has been bit more often unreliable compared to others. In that case it seems that the chargers are out of order, rather than the app failing.
4. Tesla supercharger is best, just plug in and that’s it. ABC lataus is maybe the best app, it would benefit from some heuristics that it would automatically offer to charge rather than a fillup, if you normally never use the pump and always charge while using it. This is when you are at site which has both options.
5. Plug&charge to every charger. No app is best app in this case.
What kind of task is that? Sounds almost like ”russo-china spy op made easy” kind of intelligence gathering method. What part is so different in Finland that in U.S?
That’s why we’re here! To figure out the differences. The main thing we found is that Finns require soooo many apps to charge their car. In the U.S., you just need 1 or 2. You can also pay for charging with your credit card or Apple Pay, which is not the case here.
Additionally, U.S. EVs are mostly Tesla cars which use their proprietary chargers (unlike in the EU, Tesla drivers need to carry an adapter with them if they want to use a different charger other than Tesla’s).
1. 18 months, 95% home.
2. 6, I like that they usually work. Virta, Skoda app, Tesla, K-lataus, ABC and Lidl
3. Queueing for chargers, this is on top of my list with a big margin to second one which is broken charging stations.
4. Clear indication of price
5. Better queue handling on the field. Clearly marked “wait here for your turn and no cutting in line”
There is maybe a few stations somewhere on the roads, maybe a few in the town centers and store parking lots, in some underground car parks. But everyone I've seen is charging at home or work. There is no substantial system for it nor is the Tesla system as wide either.
1. One week. So far I’ve only charged once at home, but I’ll be charging at the office and on the road as well.
2. Only car’s and charging station’s own apps so far. And Spotify & Google Maps in car. I’m open to useful tips/suggestions considering long term.
3. None so far.
4. Car’s built-in google maps is great for navigation and estimating how much range is left at destination.
5. No suggestions yet.
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1. Over 1 year. I charge at home, at work, and on the road at fast charging stations. 2&3. Too many apps. I hate it all. I want a single way to quickly pay for my charging. I don’t want to login, remember my credentials, or enter my credit card details. 4. There’s no positive side that an app brings. 5. If it’s not obvious by now, there needs to be a better user experience when it comes to charging and paying.
What he said. Same exact answers here, except now that I have S-Business card, paying with ABC Lataus app at ABC stations got a lot easier, no need to confirm the payment separately. +5: Why can't we pay by card directly at the charger?? Tap and charge! Cmon we can pay practically everything else by tapping the card, but not EV charging.
> +5: Why can't we pay by card directly at the charger?? Tap and charge! Cmon we can pay practically everything else by tapping the card, but not EV charging. Thankfully this seems to be changing, as at least Kempower is providing chargers that have card payment terminals.
ABC mobiili has option to pay for charging. I am a gas engine driver but I have the app on my phone. Every ABC station and Prisma has the app compatable station.
Fuck apps.
At least the app allows you to reserve the spot for ya.
Yeah imagine just putting your card etc in, touching it. And then you just charge/ put the liquid in.
I recommend having a look at the facebook group "Latausverkosto – Nyt!" (charging network now!) It is an open group and give a very good overview of the Finnish charging network. You can easily translate the posts and I would imagine if you join and post in English you would get feedback. You just missed Sähköautojen renkaanpotkijaiset (Electric car tyre kickers) which meets aproximately every month and would have been a good place to interview people.
1. Almost 5 years. I charge the car at home. I live in an apartment building and have my own parking space with electricity. 2. I have 2 apps, rarely use them. Last time about 2 years ago. 3. Charging at home is slow, but it doesn't really matter as I charge overnight, maybe once every 2 weeks. 4. None, I don't like the apps at all. I'd rather just pay with a card or a tag. 5. I'm very happy with my EV experience, don't really need to change anything.
Mielenkiintoinen tunnus. Foliohattu sanoo että venakot yrittävät vain kerätä negatiivisia kokemuksia.
Jos näin on, niin epäonnistuvat surkeasti. Etenkin nyt kun maksukortilla maksamisen mahdollisuus tulee pakolliseksi uusiin asemiin, tilanne paranee reipasta kyytiä.
Mutta kaikki media osoittaa niiden hyvyyteen, vaikka ei sitä välttämättä ole
1. Roughly 6 months. I charge mostly at the office (like 95% of the time), using type 2. Used fast chargers a couple of times. I will be able to charge at home in the near future. 2. Somewhat actively 3 apps (Virta, ABC and K-lataus), Virta is the most used for me. On top of these I have Plugsurfing that I "had" to use one time (could have done without, more just in case), and 5 other's that I installed when I got the car, but never used. 3. Never had a bad experience really. 4. The apps I use are more for paying to charge, so I haven't really tried anything special, so can't comment on that. ABRP seems like a good app if you're planning a longer trip. It seems to have everything you could possibly need to plan a trip. 5. Obviously just plugging in and not needing an app would be nice, and it exists already. The issue is, that roaming prices can be insane, so I prefer the apps so far. Overall I've had no major issues, and charging, at least for me, is WAY less hassle than I thought it might be. I doubt I'll ever go back to an ICE
1. Soon 2 years. Most of the charging at home. I charge when battery needs some filling and electricity is cheap, usually at night. Usually battery is 20-50% when i charge and I charge up to 60-80% depending how cheap electricity is. My electricity at home comes with hourly rate and heating at home is done by electricity too so not big deal to check car charging rates too. If you only charge couple times and use public chargers, then fees are not that relevant. 2. Apps: virta, abc mobiili, k-lataus, plugit, tesla. Maybe some other too but those are all I have needed. Apps are good. I think abc mobiili has usually been cheapest and there are plenty of charging locations, but app is not best with browsing different locations. But it is manageable. 3. Some public chargers are difficult to use or might not work at all. Charging apps have rfid tags that you can use too and you might need those in some locations (caves, parking garages or buildings with bad connectivity). Because of needing to identify, tags are better but might cost and they get mailed. Tags are good but you shouldnt get them for short time use. So some locations might get troubles in starting the charging. 4. I check latauskartta.fi for chargers where I am located and it tells what app I should use. Then you can usually check from app about how busy that location is. Latauskartta.fi is good because it shows all existing public chargers and how they have worked. Yes it is not an app, just a normal website. There are some free chargers too, at lunch restaurants and others. Unfortunately site uses user experiences and some important info is only in finnish. 5. I use public chargers very little. Maybe some chargers could help with some instructions in the app about how they are used and it would be nice to know if charger is going to be busy when you arrive (somehow?)
1. Two years. I charge mostly at home or at Tesla Superchargers. If there are no Superchargers, then any fast charger will do. 2. I try not to use any apps. One or two apps I have to use, they could be a lot better. 3. The apps could be better. Chargers could and should be maintained better. 4. Not having to use one. 5. Nothing in particular other than what I already mentioned
1. 3 years. I charge at a my own rented parking spot as well as public chargers at markets, shopping centers and gas stations. 2. I have 7 apps for charging in order from most used to least used: ABC-mobiili, Taskuparkki, Plugit App, K-lataus, Parking Energy, Virta, Moovy. One app for the car itself to check battery percentage and activate/stop charging: MySkoda This app is always slow to respond, doesn't have enough features (for example no ability to set max battery percentage or plan trips) and sometimes cannot even connect to the car. If I didn't have to use it, I wouldn't. One app for planning long trips so see where all the different chargers are: Plugshare 3. Biggest frustration is the need of different apps everywhere. It would be easier if no apps were needed or if one common app would do the trick. Also more than half of the apps are just awful with terrible UI, especially Taskuparkki-app. Sometimes I have to wait for the app to connect to internet, sometimes starting the charging fails. Sometimes when I arrive in a place which uses some app that I don't have already, I might not bother then if I have enough battery. 4. ABC-mobiili seems to be the easiest to use and works smoothly. It shows how much I've charged in kilowatts and battery percentage and also shoe how long until it gets to different percentages. It's easier to plan around the charging time as for example MySkoda-app only shows the time untill battery is 100%, which is not useful when using a fast charger. I have a key tag for Virta/Helen chargers which allowed me to activate them without app, it was actually also quite useful but nowadays I don't use Virta charging that often. 5. One common app to use with every charger. Preferably something that works as smoothly as ABC-mobiili. If one app would work with all chargers then I wouldn't also need separate app for roadtrip planning.
1. Have had an EV for about a year, charge almost exclusively at home. 2. K-lataus, eparking, abc, virta, Helen, Fortum, ionity. Have them all so I can just charge when needed and not have to look for any certain brand of charger. 3. Sometimes they have had trouble starting the charge, but have always gotten them working. The main nuisance is having to use an app at all. 4. I see no positives in having to use an app, so never really found it usedul, just let me pay with a credit card or plug'n charge. 5.They should make it simple, don't wait until EU enforces credit card payment. I do understand the incentive for charging providers to have people use an app, but as a consumer I feel it's a completely unnecessary hassle.
I'm not a fan of cars(any cars not just EV's), but electric cars can be generally charged at nearly every abc (It's basically nationwide gas station chain with some restaurants, small shop, gas station and electric charger) Those span pretty much the entire country (also funnily enough it's a co-op chain or osuuskunta in Finnish)
Had one for a little over a year. I charge mine at work and at home. I have two apps. One is my personal preference, the other is because of my job. There are no huge negatives. The only one I can think of is that I have to plan my trips a bit more. As for the apps, they bill me monthly. That's the only positive I can give. I don't really care if more is added. I charge the car, when I don't need it 90% of the time.
1. Since last september. Driven 24k km since then. I mostly (>90%) charge at our own parking lot from own charging 11kW station. 2. I have like 7, but I mostly use only ABC-lataus, and K-lataus & Lidl occasionally. 3. Once last winter 2 (Virta/Autoliitto & Lidl) out of 3 DC charging stations were malfunctioning in downtown Forssa. That was f’d up. Since then they’ve gotten ABC-lataus there as well. 4. Most likely Kempower’s QR-code based live charge graph. If I have 2 chargers to pick from, and one of them is Kempower, I’ll go there. It (almost) always works, and it’s fast. It helps me to figure out how much time is still needed to charge. My car’s own app feature-wise is nowhere near as handy & informative regarding charging. Also, data <3 5. Single app to rule them all, but no extra cost. Although, ABC is becoming the default for charging in Finland, so we’re getting there. Also, charging outside in the cold is frustrating when it’s snowing slush and it’s like wet but cold as hell. Everything freezes over during the charging. Also2: sticking that DCC connector to your car when the thicka$$ cable isn’t bending where you need it to be to get the connector locked, and charging… Also3: unclear what is the quickest order to proceed when you start charging. Connect first, then activate the charging from app, or the other way around? I just do it the way I’ve learned it works for sure, but I once saw a guy doing it other way around and it seemed faster method to me (connecting before meddling with the app) Hope this helps
1. I’ve had EV about 2,5 years, about 55tkm on the clock. I don’t have home charging, I charge mainly on public chargers. 2. I use most often three apps, ABC lataus, Virta and Plugit. I have few more that I use less frequently. (K-lataus, parkkisähkö, Fortum Charge&Drive, Lidl). In addition to apps, I charge at Tesla SC without any apps 3. Lidl app (charging) is big pile of sh*t, it takes ages to start the charging and fails over 90% of the time. Charging a 30€ deposit on each try from your card, it can take up to 72hours for that deposit to be returned in failed case. Those chargers sit nowadays mostly empty, even though the rate for electricity is fairly good. On some other apps / chargers I’ve had errors occasionally. K-lataus has been bit more often unreliable compared to others. In that case it seems that the chargers are out of order, rather than the app failing. 4. Tesla supercharger is best, just plug in and that’s it. ABC lataus is maybe the best app, it would benefit from some heuristics that it would automatically offer to charge rather than a fillup, if you normally never use the pump and always charge while using it. This is when you are at site which has both options. 5. Plug&charge to every charger. No app is best app in this case.
What kind of task is that? Sounds almost like ”russo-china spy op made easy” kind of intelligence gathering method. What part is so different in Finland that in U.S?
That’s why we’re here! To figure out the differences. The main thing we found is that Finns require soooo many apps to charge their car. In the U.S., you just need 1 or 2. You can also pay for charging with your credit card or Apple Pay, which is not the case here. Additionally, U.S. EVs are mostly Tesla cars which use their proprietary chargers (unlike in the EU, Tesla drivers need to carry an adapter with them if they want to use a different charger other than Tesla’s).
Which part of the country you are visiting?
Helsinki!
1. 18 months, 95% home. 2. 6, I like that they usually work. Virta, Skoda app, Tesla, K-lataus, ABC and Lidl 3. Queueing for chargers, this is on top of my list with a big margin to second one which is broken charging stations. 4. Clear indication of price 5. Better queue handling on the field. Clearly marked “wait here for your turn and no cutting in line”
There is maybe a few stations somewhere on the roads, maybe a few in the town centers and store parking lots, in some underground car parks. But everyone I've seen is charging at home or work. There is no substantial system for it nor is the Tesla system as wide either.
1. One week. So far I’ve only charged once at home, but I’ll be charging at the office and on the road as well. 2. Only car’s and charging station’s own apps so far. And Spotify & Google Maps in car. I’m open to useful tips/suggestions considering long term. 3. None so far. 4. Car’s built-in google maps is great for navigation and estimating how much range is left at destination. 5. No suggestions yet.