Tesla drivers find it incredibly easy to use a Supercharger station. With the convenience of GPS location integrated into the touchscreen navigation system, their vehicle’s navigation guides them directly to the nearest Supercharger. Once they arrive at the Supercharger station, all they need to do is plug in and charge up. It’s as simple as that!
Tesla drivers don’t have to worry about complicated procedures or confusing instructions. They don’t need an app to find a charging station on their phone. They don’t need to open the Tesla app to start the charging process. They don’t need an RFID card or anything else. It just plugs in and works.
Personally, I’ve only experienced this once with my Bolt EUV. When I used an EVgo station that I had set up for plug-and-charge, it was just boring. The car and the station communicated briefly, and then the car started charging effortlessly. No need for an RFID card, opening an app, visiting a website, or any complicated procedures. Unlike other non-Tesla DCFC charging sessions (that I’ve paid for), it truly was as simple as plug and charge.
As a non-Tesla driver, I have to admit that I felt like a fish out of water, but I have to also admit that I’d like to just plug and charge more in the future.
Fortunately, it looks like more industry players are getting into this, according to a new press release from Driivz. If you’ve used very many non-Tesla charging stations, you’ve probably seen their name on your smartphone’s screen. They’re the coders behind many smaller and regional charging networks, like Francis Energy and Circle K Charge.
Driivz understands that drivers desire a hassle-free and convenient charging experience. With the implementation of ISO 15118-based Plug&Charge technology, this seamless experience becomes a reality. No need to open an app, tap an RFID tag, or use a charge card — simply drive up, plug in, and charging starts automatically. This innovative solution will be showcased by three EV industry collaborators at the upcoming Intercharge Network Conference (ICNC23) in Berlin.
The other companies in the project are Mer Germany and Hubject. Mer Germany, a subsidiary of the Mer Group, is a prominent EV charging operator across Norway, Sweden, the U.K., Germany, and Austria. Its dedicated focus is on sustainable electric mobility, and it is proud to be the driving force behind this collaboration. Hubject is a global leader in eRoaming and Plug&Charge services, organizing a growing operational Plug&Charge ecosystem and serving as a trusted Certificate Authority.
“When we can give all EV drivers a simple, seamless and ‘always on’ charging experience that they can trust, we will see true acceleration of EV adoption and real progress towards our goals for a healthier planet,” says Doron Frenkel, founder and CEO of Driivz. “As part of the team that is leading the development of international protocols in EV charging, we are committed to providing drivers and our clients access to industry-wide innovation, like the one showcased in this collaborative demonstration. It looks like this will be the year of Plug&Charge. Numerous vehicles and chargers are planned to support this technology and we’ll see massive growth in Plug&Charge in nearly every country across the globe.”
How The Companies Envision Plug&Charge Working
Their hope is pretty much what you’d expect: When an electric vehicle (EV) is plugged into a charging station, it promptly identifies itself, authorizes charging, and initiates the process. This communication includes relevant data about the driver’s account with the EV charging service provider, ensuring seamless automatic billing for the electricity used during charging.
For a seamless Plug&Charge experience, Driivz says it is crucial that all stakeholders in the EV charging ecosystem embrace ISO 15118. This international standard facilitates secure and scalable communications for EV charging, ensuring compatibility and efficiency.
“Over the past five years we have gathered invaluable expertise regarding ISO 15118 and Plug&Charge. The result is a solution that is actively driving the EV charging industry toward mass adoption by enabling that seamless and secure charging experience for EV drivers,” says Christian Hahn, CEO of Hubject. “This joint demonstration illustrates how adopting international standards ensures interoperability between all EV charging industry participants.”
Stakeholders in the EV charging ecosystem include manufacturers of EVs and chargers, charge point operators (CPOs), electric mobility service providers (EMSPs), and back-end software providers. These stakeholders are responsible for delivering public EV charging services, managing EV charging networks, energy use, and various business functions such as driver accounts, billing, and roaming reconciliation.
Plug&Charge enables seamless roaming for drivers, offering a true “charge anywhere” experience. With secure authentication, EV owners can charge across regions, borders, and on any eMobility service provider’s network. This capability is activated by pairing the EV’s unique identifier (PCID) with the charging app. The roll-out of Plug&Charge in Germany, at all hyperchargers from alpitronic, is planned for Q4 2023.
“This collaboration grew from our mission to make sustainable electric mobility easy and accessible for everyone by offering solutions that give our customers seamless EV charging experiences,” says Anton Achatz, director of business development and product management, Mer Germany. “Demonstrating Plug&Charge to ICNC23 attendees shows that the vision of seamless charging for all EV drivers is now a reality.”
Easier Done Many Times Than Done Once
It seems pretty obvious that it’s possible, as both Tesla and EVgo have some level of support for this simple experience, even if done with different protocols and methods. These three companies also want to show off proof that this concept works, but they’re doing it in a controlled environment and not out in production where drivers are actually counting on it to work.
But, getting everyone on the same page for the same experience is a whole different beast. There are politics, technical hurdles, and “not invented here” barriers all in the way of implementation. Seeing these companies do this will be cool, but it’ll be heaps more impressive when we start to see wide rollouts of ISO standard plug & charge.
But, doing it once is a good start toward showing that it’s possible and desirable for everyone else to put in the effort to get onboard!
Featured image provided by Driivz.
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