Start and stop a charging session

Note

Before your first session, you’ll need a Hypercharge account with a payment method and a balance. You can create one in the Hypercharge app or at client.hypercharge.com.

There are three ways to start a session at a Hypercharge station: the Hypercharge app, the QR code on the station, or an RFID card. The app is the most common, and it’s the only method that lets you monitor your session while it runs.

Before you start

1. Download the Hypercharge app and create your account

Download the app from the App Store or Google Play, then register with your email address.

Tip

If you’re parking underground, download the app and create your account before you go down. Many parkades have no mobile signal, so you won’t be able to reach the app store from there — and if you plug in first and then have to go back up to set up an account, the station may time out before you can start, sending you back to your vehicle to reconnect. See Charging where there’s no cell signal.

2. Add a payment method and top up your balance

Hypercharge sessions draw from your account balance. You need more than $1 to start a session at all — but you need enough to cover the whole session, or charging will stop when the balance runs out.

How much that is depends on the station’s rate and how much charge you need. See How much balance do I need? for typical amounts.

Tip

The simplest way to avoid a session being cut short is automatic balance reloads — your balance tops up on its own whenever it falls below $10.

See also Add a payment method.

3. Note the station ID

Every Hypercharge station has an ID printed on it — usually a 4-digit number such as 5839. You’ll use it to find the station in the app.

Start a session with the app

1. Find the station in the app

Tap the search icon and enter the station ID. Searching by station ID is more reliable than browsing the map — see Find a station in the app if the station doesn’t appear.

2. Check the rate

Tap the station to see the charging rate and any idle fee that applies. Rates are set by the site owner and differ from site to site. See Charging prices and idle fees.

3. Get to the Start button, but don’t press it yet

Have the station’s screen open in the app and the Start button in front of you before you plug in.

4. Plug the connector into your vehicle

Take the connector from the station’s holster and insert it firmly into your vehicle’s charging port. Make sure it’s fully seated — on most vehicles you’ll feel or hear it click.

5. Press Start immediately

Your session should begin within a few seconds.

Tip

If the app gets stuck on “Connecting”, the station has most likely timed out waiting. Unplug the connector, wait about 10 seconds, plug it back in, and press Start promptly. Signing out of the app and back in also clears a stuck session state.

6. Confirm your vehicle is charging

You can confirm the session started in several ways:

1. The station’s status light changes colour or begins blinking
2. The station’s screen (if it has one) shows “Charging”, with session time and energy increasing
3. The app shows the session running and energy being delivered
4. Your vehicle’s dashboard or companion app shows it’s charging

Why the order matters

Technically the order doesn’t matter — you can plug in first or press Start first. A session starts once three things are true:

1. The connector is plugged into your vehicle
2. An authenticated start has been received
3. The account starting the session has more than $1 in balance

The catch is the station’s timeout. Some models on the network give you 60 seconds — if the plug-in and the Start don’t both happen inside that window, the station gives up and you have to begin again.

That’s why we recommend having Start ready before you plug in. Plugging in and then searching for the station may cause a delay which results in the station timing out and requires restarting the process.

Start a session with the QR code

Most Hypercharge stations have a QR code printed on them. Scanning it opens the station directly, so you don’t have to search for the station ID.

This is a useful fallback when you can’t find the station in the app, or when the station ID on the unit is worn or missing. If you scan a QR code and haven’t already downloaded the Hypercharge app, you’ll be prompted to do so first. Once you’ve downloaded the app and set up your account, simply re-scan the QR code to be taken directly to the station in the app.

Note

At some sites the QR code opens a different app — not Hypercharge. This is expected at those locations. See Sites that use the ParkedIn app.

Start a session with an RFID card

Tapping an RFID card, fob or device on the wireless symbol on the front of the station starts a session without using your phone at all, which makes it the most reliable option in underground parkades and anywhere with poor signal.

You’ll need to order a card and link it to your account first. See Starting a charging session with RFID for the full process.

Tip

If you charge regularly at a station with poor signal, turn on automatic balance reloads. Otherwise you may find you can’t top up your balance when you need to, and the session won’t start.

Stop your session

To stop charging, unplug the connector from your vehicle and return it to the station’s holster. The session ends when you unplug — you don’t need to stop it in the app first.

1. Release the connector and withdraw it

If your vehicle has a charging connector lock, release it first. Press down firmly on the handle’s latch to withdraw the connector from the charge port.

2. Return the connector to the station

If the station has a retracting cord, pull gently on the tether so it retracts. Place the connector into the holder on the station.

If the connector won’t release, your vehicle is most likely still holding it locked. Lock your vehicle, unlock it again, and wait about 15 seconds, then try again. See Release a connector stuck in your vehicle for more options.

Note

Returning the connector to the holster is what makes the station available for the next driver. Once you’ve unplugged, your session has ended and you won’t continue to be billed for charging.

If your session won’t start

The most common causes are a low account balance, a station you don’t have access to, or a station that isn’t in service. See Why a charging session won’t start for how to work through each one.