The Austrian Energy Regulatory Authority E-Control has presented a comprehensive update to its directory of publicly accessible charging stations and the associated charging tariff calculator. These innovations are intended to provide electric car drivers in Austria with significantly improved transparency and user-friendliness when charging their vehicles. The goal is to make trip planning easier, especially during the upcoming holiday season, and to make the use of electric mobility more attractive.
The updated directory now displays the availability of charging points in real time – whether they are free or occupied. Charging prices, both with and without a charging card, as well as any additional costs, are also shown transparently. The charging tariff calculator has also been made more user-friendly and now allows users to save favorite charging cards and compatible charging stations nearby. Elisabeth Zehetner , Secretary of E-Control, emphasized that Austria is leading the way in Europe with this information service and is therefore a true pioneer in helping electric vehicle drivers quickly find the right charging station on their journeys.
Wolfgang Urbantschitsch , CEO of E-Control, explained that for the first time, electric car drivers in Austria now have independent and objective online access to all the information they most urgently desired: transparent information on contract tariffs, the status of all publicly accessible charging points, and the charging prices payable with their own charging card or via ad-hoc payment. These innovations are the result of expanded information obligations under the Austrian Charging Point Data Ordinance and the European AFIR (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation) . In addition to the operating status and ad-hoc prices, information on plug types, charging capacity, opening hours, suitable vehicle types, accessible parking spaces, and payment options is now also available.
A special "extra" is the synchronization of the charging tariff calculator with the charging point directory. Users can now save their own charging card in the calculator and then view the charging point website to see which publicly accessible charging points are compatible with their card. Furthermore, the prices of the charging process can be directly compared with the tariff on their own card compared to the ad hoc price. This integrated solution is intended to significantly simplify the search for the optimal charging option and thus contribute to the further spread of electromobility in Austria.