For a new electric vehicle driver, it can be confusing to understand how to acquire a card to charge their electric vehicle and even to grasp if it's necessary. Currently, there are several ways to charge your electric vehicle's batteries at a charging station, one of which is through the use of a physical RFID card or eKey. In this article, we'll discuss the various ways to charge your electric vehicle and, if it suits your needs, how to acquire a physical RFID card with miio.
Where to Charge Your Electric Vehicle
The first step after purchasing your electric vehicle, if not already done, is to understand how you can recharge its batteries.
In addition to home charging, which is not accessible to all electric vehicle users, whether due to a lack of garage, insufficient power availability, or inability to install a wallbox, there's public charging; and the vast majority of daily commuting electric vehicle users charge their vehicles in public.
The public network of charging stations has been growing at a rapid pace, with greater penetration in major urban centers and coastal areas, which also have higher demand, but also increasingly available options inland and across all districts. Examples of places where you can usually find a charging station include gas stations, hotels, parking lots, restaurants, and service areas. These stations require an authentication method so that the user can start, stop, and pay for their charging session.
How to Charge the Car
There are 3 ways to charge your electric vehicle at a charging station: using a physical RFID card, using a mobile application (like miio), or by performing an adhoc charge, which can commonly be initiated by scanning a QR code at the station or using an automatic payment terminal.
One of the most reliable methods is to always have a physical RFID card (or eKey) in the car to start a charging session in almost any circumstance. With an RFID card, you can charge even if your mobile phone is out of battery or if the station lacks external connectivity. Having the RFID card also avoids the need to scan QR codes at the station, which occasionally is associated with fraud cases.
It's worth noting: although the charging experience with a physical card is entirely secure, it doesn't have a PIN like a credit card. In case of loss or theft, make sure to cancel it immediately.
How to Acquire a miio Card for Your Electric Vehicle
Very easy.
Through miio, the process is quite simple.
- Open the miio App
- Click on the wallet icon
- Join miio Pay: Discover all the options of our charging service
- Select the payment method
- Request the miio Card: fill in your details and you'll receive the card within a few days
You can also choose to personalize your physical charging card with a photo of your new electric car, your family, or even your pet! A physical card doesn't have to be boring, right?
Charging Without a miio Card
Now that you know how to acquire a physical card to recharge your electric vehicle, also learn how the other two options work, the risks and benefits, but also how to charge your electric vehicle while waiting for the physical card you ordered.
Firstly, it's important to explain that by acquiring a physical charging card from miio, you'll automatically have that same card virtualized in your miio account. This means that even if your card hasn't arrived yet or if you've forgotten it at home, you can start a charging session via the app! Just choose the station and the plug and click on charge!
It's exactly the same whether you charge via the miio app or with your miio physical card: you can see the ongoing charging session in the miio app, monitoring all aspects of the charge remotely. You can start charging via your miio app and finish with your physical card, or vice versa. It's the same card, in the same wallet: just in physical and virtual format. Simple and accessible, isn't it?
Why Should I Have a Physical Card?
At this point, you might wonder: if you can start a charging session via the mobile app, why should you acquire a physical card? Well, because sometimes, especially at stations located in underground parking lots, there may be no external connectivity. That is to say: when you start a charging session via miio, a command is sent to the charging station to start a session at the chosen plug, in your name.
If the station doesn't have an internet connection at that moment, it won't be able to receive the command to start, however, if you bring a physical charging card close to the charging station reader, it should be recognized and allow you to start charging, the station will communicate later what the value of the charging session was. The experience, in these cases, won't be optimal for the user, however, it's possible to charge and there's no need to go to another station.
Now that you know everything about acquiring a physical charging card, shall we go on a journey together?
