The difference between private, semi-public, and public charging pertains to who has access to the charging infrastructure and where it is located:
- Private Charging: This refers to charging an electric vehicle at a charging point located on private property, such as home charging. The owner has full control over the charging point and determines who has access. This type of charging is typically intended for personal use and is not accessible to the general public.
- Semi-Public Charging: In semi-public charging, the charging point is located in a location that is not strictly private but also not fully public. A typical example of this is charging points at businesses, shopping centers, hotels, or parking garages. These charging points are accessible to a limited public, such as customers, guests, or employees of that specific location with a compatible charging card. There is no price transparency through public charge maps, as these charging points are not published.
- Public Charging: Public charging includes charging infrastructure that is openly accessible to everyone without restrictions. These can be charging points placed along the road, in city centers, or in public parking lots. Anyone with an electric vehicle can use these charging points with a compatible charging card.
The main difference between these three types of charging is the level of accessibility, price transparency, and control over the charging points, ranging from very limited (private) to fully public (public).