A smart meter is not necessary for the use of a charging station for electric vehicles (EV). A charging station is a device used to charge electric vehicles and has no direct connection to your energy consumption or your smart meter.

However, if you are interested in monitoring the energy consumption of your EV and managing its costs, using a smart meter can be useful. Some smart meters provide the ability to measure and monitor the consumption of specific devices, such as a charging station. This can help to gain insight into how much energy you use for charging your EV and to identify any savings.

Please note that using a smart meter is not mandatory for using a charging station. You can also simply purchase a charging station and track its costs in another way, such as using a separate meter or through the bills from your energy supplier. However, if you are interested in monitoring your energy consumption and achieving savings, it might be worth considering purchasing a smart meter.