App helps to find charging stations in time
The network of charging stations for charging an electric car is quite complicated. There are all kinds of systems in use to charge the battery, different speeds are used during charging, and different types of apps are in use. It is therefore nice that all charging points in publicly accessible places can be used with the same type of charging card. This is possible thanks to the Open Charge Point Protocol, a universal language used by all apps. The new app from GRID also uses this protocol.
How does the GRID app work?
The basis of the GRID app consists of the network of all publicly accessible charging stations in the Netherlands. In the app, you must first enter some personal information, and then enter the car type and the battery type. These are data that the app needs to function properly. When the app is started, it will look up all charging points along your route. You can see the most important features of the charging points, such as the number of connection points for cars, the capacity, the price and the exact location. Based on your current battery capacity, the app can recommend the most favorable charging station.Dutch people prefer to charge at home
As useful as the app is, most Dutch people who have an electric car will prefer to charge their battery at home. Firstly, this is much cheaper than charging at a public charging station. But the Dutch also hate having to wait until they can continue driving. If the car is suitable for this, the waiting time is at most half an hour. But even that is annoying for the Dutch. That is why almost 90 percent of users charge their electric car at home or at work.Range
The majority of motorists who have an electric car are business drivers. Many of them drive a relatively new electric car. The range of these models is 300 kilometers or more. This is sufficient to complete almost all business trips without having to stop. If the battery is empty after such a trip, it can usually be recharged during the business conversation to such an extent that it contains enough energy to complete the trip to the next appointment or home without intermediate charging. Business drivers are therefore rarely found at a charging station.Older electric cars
Most private electric car drivers have a used model. The battery will likely still be in good condition, but it will no longer have its full capacity. The range of these cars can be reduced to less than 100 kilometers. However, that's hardly a problem, as most journeys in the Netherlands cover shorter distances. If you occasionally need to make a longer trip with such a car, an app like GRID's is a handy tool for planning the journey as efficiently as possible.
