The City of Athens is launching a new digital platform and mobile app for managing its electric vehicle charging network, with the AthensCharge system set to begin operating on October 1.
The platform will allow drivers to locate available charging stations, start and monitor charging sessions and make electronic payments.
The city’s municipal technology company, DAEM S.A., will oversee the network, making Athens the first municipality in Greece to manage its own electric vehicle charging infrastructure through a municipal company.
DAEM CEO Lazaros Karaoulis said the platform combines real-time monitoring, electronic payments, statistical analysis and personalized services.
“With AthensCharge, we demonstrate that a municipality can design and operate advanced digital services for a sustainable city,” Karaoulis said. He described the initiative as an innovation for Athens and a model that could be used more broadly by local governments.
How AthensCharge will work
Drivers will be able to use the mobile application to manage the charging process.
The system will allow users to:
- Find available charging stations on a map
- Park in a designated charging space and connect their vehicle
- Select the charger and connector they are using
- Start and stop charging through the app
- Monitor the progress of a charging session
- Pay electronically
Users will also have access to 24/7 support through 1595, the City of Athens’ municipal customer service line. Calls are charged according to the user’s telecommunications provider.
How much will charging cost?
Charging at the municipal stations will cost €0.37 per kilowatt-hour, with users charged according to the amount of electricity their vehicle consumes.
The municipality says the pricing is intended to provide transparency for users while supporting the sustainable operation of the charging network.
19 charging stations to join the platform
AthensCharge will initially manage 19 public electric vehicle charging stations located within the City of Athens.
The stations were installed following a 2020 donation by Metlen Energy & Metals to the municipality. Additional charging points will gradually be incorporated into the network, including infrastructure at Serafio and new chargers to be installed on municipal property.
DAEM has also been registered with Greece’s official Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Registry, allowing it to register and manage charging points and operate the relevant infrastructure on behalf of the City of Athens.
Through the platform, the municipality will be able to monitor the operation and availability of chargers in real time, manage charging sessions, track revenue and the overall performance of the network, process electronic payments and generate reports and statistics to support its electric mobility policies.
A system designed to improve access
Until now, the electricity consumed at the municipal charging stations has been paid for entirely by the City of Athens, with the total cost exceeding €200,000.
The municipality has also faced a separate problem: charging spaces have sometimes been used for long-term parking, with vehicles remaining connected after their batteries have finished charging.
AthensCharge is intended to give the municipality greater control and a clearer picture of how the network is being used, helping ensure that charging spaces are available to more drivers and are used more efficiently.
Future discounts and user categories
The application is also being designed for further development.
In a later phase, it could distinguish between different categories of users, including municipal residents and permanent residents of Athens.
The municipality will also examine the possibility of creating special programs and potential discounts for professionals operating in central Athens who want to use the municipal charging network regularly.
Any new features will be developed within the existing legal framework and according to specific, transparent criteria, the municipality said.
