Voltrelli, the newest electric car charging app in Romania, allows card payments and soon the Autocharge function in the EVconnect charging station network.
Outside Romania, EVconnect offers electric charging solutions in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Montenegro, Germany, Spain, France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Peru, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.
Among the EVconnect stations in Romania where electric car users can pay directly by card are those located near Ploiești, at Ledmax. Here, customers can charge at one of the lowest rates in the country, of only 1 leu/KWh. An important aspect is that the electricity supplied is 100% green, being produced from photovoltaic panels. The card payment method is available for some stations and is being implemented in the other charging points, but until then, charging can be done through the Voltrelli application, enrolling a bank card without the need to block an amount.
The new Voltrelli application offers a quick response in communication with electric stations and a series of new functions that other applications do not have.
Although the investment was significant, the tariffs are among the lowest, being below the threshold of 2 lei/kWh. Currently, users can charge at rates from 1 lei/charging unit or even for free in certain locations. EVConnect is the only network of charging stations that still provides free charging at its own stations. As a promoter of sustainable transport, EVConnect has been installing charging stations from its own funds since 2014, through which it has also supported free charging at public charging stations from its own funds, thus permanently making a direct contribution to encouraging the transition to electric vehicles.
“For charging electric cars through the Voltrelli app at EVconnect stations, the rates are at most stations 1.79 lei AC rate/charging unit and 1.98, and in some places, with the support of partners we manage to offer much better rates of 1.59 lei/KWh at LG Trans on the Highway near Turda or 1.19 lei/KWh from Photovoltaice at Mobilis at the entrance to Iași”, says Mihai Dragoș Ciobanu, CEO of EVconnect.
The main functions for electric car users allowed by the new Voltrelli application are:
– card payment at electric stations, only for the amount of electricity charged, without the need to block an amount in the wallet,
– station availability, if it is free, occupied, functional,
– fleet management systems,
– load balancing,
– scan&charge and in the near future also the Autocharge (CCS connectors) charging functions, Plug & Charge, through which the stations start charging automatically without an RFID card or application, for customers with subscriptions.
Among the car brands that have electric models available with the Autocharge function are Tesla, BMW, Audi, Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Ford, Volvo, Toyota.
The application also offers a diagnostic system for stations, even for domestic ones, to find out what errors occurred during charging. Also through the application, EVconnect engineers can intervene remotely at stations that have technical problems or can perform remote software updates.
Even if electric car users will only use card payments in the future, station operators cannot give up on applications because they will be able to operate the stations remotely and users can see their availability.
The Voltrelli application replaces the EVconnect application and is already present in several countries on two continents, thus following the company’s expansion and internationalization plans and opening up to new markets. The Romanian company Smart Business & Technologies Solutions SRL, which owns the Evconnect and Voltrelli brands, created the first network of electric car charging stations in Romania in 2014. Since then, over 50,000 users have charged over 20 GWh of energy, mostly renewable.
The EVconnect company has played and continues to play a significant role in the development of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Romania. Its network has grown significantly over the years, now comprising almost 800 stations in over 100 locations in the country and abroad, being the only Romanian company in this sector present on markets in other continents.
The operator offers maintenance services for all types of electric stations and sells and installs stations belonging to the EVConnect, EVBox Troniq, Wallbox, Ingerev, Kempower, Alpitronic, Easee brands, with powers from 7.4 KW to 600 KW.