Charging your EV without a parking space: solutions for renters and city dwellers

Do you drive an EV but live in an apartment, with no private parking space or dedicated charger? It's one of the most cited barriers among prospective EV buyers in urban areas. Good news: several solutions exist, with very different costs and constraints.

Rent an equipped parking space

In major cities, it's possible to rent a parking space equipped with a charger, with charging usage generally included in the rent. Expect to pay on average between €150 and €220 a month for this type of solution — a non-trivial budget if you don't drive much.

Rent a charger from a private individual, per charge

This is the most flexible and often cheapest option: find a charger shared by an individual near your home or workplace, and only pay for actual usage, with no monthly commitment. On ShareNplug, you book a slot, you charge, and you're billed only for the energy consumed — no subscription to pay if you don't use it in a given month.

Charge at work

Many companies now provide EV chargers for their employees, free of charge in most cases — an obligation that's actually being strengthened under the LOM law for businesses with more than 100 employees. If your employer has a car park, it's often the most economical solution.

Public chargers: a backup solution

Public charging stations remain available, but this option stays inconvenient: there's no guarantee you'll find a free charger exactly when you need one, and rates are generally higher than charging at a private individual's.

Watch out for "yolocharging"

Charging by running a cable from your home out to the public street (known as "yolocharging") can be considered an obstruction to traffic and can be penalized. It's not a solution to rely on, even occasionally.

Our recommendation

For regular use without the constraints of a parking subscription, charging at a private individual's via a platform like ShareNplug offers the best balance of cost, flexibility and availability — especially if a host shares their charger near your home or usual route.

Information specific to your vehicle: Tesla · Renault · Peugeot · Citroën · Volkswagen · Dacia · Hyundai · Kia

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