If your EV is plugged in but charging does not start, check three stages separately: the physical connection, payment authorisation and the vehicle’s permission to charge. A successful card payment or a locked cable does not by itself prove that energy is flowing. Confirm the charging status on both the car and the station.

Start with the message on the screen

Read the station and vehicle displays before disconnecting anything. “Waiting for vehicle”, “authorising” and “charging unavailable” point to different problems. Note the connector ID, not just the car park address. A charger with several cables may require selecting one specific outlet in the app.

For a station fault, use the operator contact displayed on the charger and quote the station identifier. For a payment or account problem, contact your charging service. If the issue cannot be resolved promptly, choose an accessible alternative before your remaining range becomes tight.

Check the physical connection

Follow the equipment’s instructions for connecting and starting. Inspect the cable and plug visually. Do not use visibly damaged equipment. Seat the connector as instructed without forcing it, and give the locking and communication process time to complete.

For AC charging with your own cable, check both ends. For a heavy DC connector, make sure its weight is not pulling it out of alignment while the lock engages. Do not open the charger, press an emergency stop as a routine reset or attempt a manual release while energy may still be flowing.

Check authorisation and vehicle settings

Authorisation accepted, but no energy?

Look for a charging schedule, departure timer, charge limit or setting that delays charging at the current location. If the battery is already at its configured target, the car may not request more energy. Use the vehicle manual to select immediate charging where appropriate.

Authorisation rejected?

Check the account’s payment method and the exact connector’s supported start methods. Use our charging-card and roaming checklist for that branch of the problem. Repeatedly tapping a card can confuse the sequence, so wait for a clear response before trying again.

Try one controlled restart

If there is no safety issue, end the failed attempt using the supported controls, wait for the station to reset and reconnect according to its instructions. Confirm that charging has started on the station, in the app and in the vehicle. Record any new message instead of repeating the same attempt indefinitely.

If the next attempt fails, call the operator or move to a suitable alternative while you still have enough range. A different connector at the same site may share the same fault, so keep a second location in mind.

Make a useful support report

Provide timestamp, connector ID, vehicle model, battery level, payment method and the exact message. Explain whether the plug locked, whether authorisation succeeded and whether any kWh were delivered. This short sequence is more useful than “the charger does not work”.

Save the session reference if money was reserved or charged, then check the final bill. See reading an EV charging bill for the difference between delivered energy and battery percentage. If energy flows but slowly, use the separate low-power diagnosis instead of treating it as a start failure.

Put the checklist into practice with StromNow

Use StromNow to find charging points, review prices and plan a suitable stop. Check the station details before connecting and keep your next charging decision in one app. Explore StromNow and download the app.

Editorial review: 5 September 2026. Check current station conditions before charging.