If you’re totally new to plug-in cars as I am, here might be some useful information on how to charge your new and shiny plug-in Toyota Prius. It might be relieving to know that it is not that complicated a process.

Process in a nutshell

• Prepare a mobile app
• Charge
• Remember how to unlock charging cable

Prepare a mobile app

Depending if you’re using a totally new service provider you might need to create necessary user account and password in place. Provide your credit card details.

Please pay attention to the service provider as many of them require you to use your own mobile app. Then there might be an option to use universal apps, which utilizes the “roaming” option but be careful with the pricing.

Charge

If you’ve registration process already, then e.g. here in Finland using Lidl’s charging station requires user to:

• Connect cable to car
• Scan QR code from the charging station (this verifies what station you are using)
• Approve and start charging

There’s not much to tell about charging itself once it is started. Go to the grocery store and buy some beer for the night and think about marvelous Toyota Prius.

Unlock the charging cable

For me this caused some unclarity at first, but after all, all makes sense now. There is a safety feature. User must end charging from the mobile app first. Then unlock the door lock using the key fob. No matter if you did unlock doors before ending the charging process, please unlock doors again. Only this unlocks the charging cable from the car.