Introducing Plug&Charge: The future of fast, seamless and secure charging

Super-sized SUVs and compact hatchbacks. Long-distance drives and pops-to-the-shops... When it’s time to top up, EV drivers from all walks of life have one big thing in common: they want the process to be as quick, seamless and fuss-free as possible. Nobody likes fiddly extra steps or uncertainty around compatibility.

That’s exactly why Spirii is rolling out Plug&Charge – the simplest, safest and speediest way for drivers to authenticate and pay for public charging. Here’s everything you need to know…

What is Plug&Charge?

You can think of Plug&Charge as the charging equivalent of keyless entry and ignition. Just as that technology has banished the need for physically inserting and turning your car keys, Plug&Charge enables drivers to charge without having to use RFID keys or apps.

That means all you need to do is connect your charger to your car to kick off a charging session straight away.

That’s great for drivers because it makes charging easier than ever, and it’s great for charge point operators (CPOs) because it makes it more compelling for drivers to use their sites when out and about.

In other words? By combining compatible charging stations, software and electric vehicles, Plug&Charge makes good on the promise inherent in its name.

How does Plug&Charge work?

Plug&Charge is an open standard that combines the interlinking technology between vehicles and chargers to create a secure connection – one that instantly identifies and associates the driver with the upcoming charging session. Here’s how it works:

1. A driver plugs their car into a compatible charger

2. The charger and car work together to ID the driver’s car

3. Charging starts

4. Invoices are automatically sent, and payments are sorted

The second a connector brings charger and vehicle together, Plug&Charge technology gets them talking to one another. Behind the scenes, digital certificates authenticate the EV by matching its unique ID to the charging session. Then, once charging’s done, the price is automatically calculated – with invoices or receipts sent to each party.

So, is this safe? Very! Trusted, third-party Certificate Authorities (CAs) manage the creation, storage and distribution of the identifying data – with end-to-end encryption and grid-friendly smart charging using the super secure ISO15118 protocol.

It’s also worth noting that those certificates only really identify your vehicle, rather than personal details about you.

The ‘Open Plug&Charge Protocol’ (OPCP) has been developed by Hubject as an open-source project, with a view to standardise the technology across the industry and help it proliferate as quickly as possible.

How to get started?

Plug&Charge is really simple to the end user, but it does require a few things to be in place along the eMobility chain. If you’re a CPO and are keen to get involved as part of your Spirii plan, here are the four

1. Compatible hardware

That means validated charging hardware and vehicle models

2. The location must be available via Hubject’s network

As the open-source bastions of Plug&Charge, Hubject is an integral part of our own implementation

3. eMobility providers (EMPs) need to be subscribed to Spirii’s offering

This is required to ensure Spirii (and our CPOs) get paid by drivers through the Plug&Charge system

4. A Spirii tariff active at the location

Plug&Charge makes use of our advanced tariff options for increased flexibility and compatibility

In the short term, interested CPOs can get started with Plug&Charge capabilities by contacting their dedicated Spirii representative. Soon, Plug&Charge will come to the Spirii Connect platform as a simple set of opt-in options.

Wrap-up

Plug&Charge is a new technology standard that uses advanced two-way communication between chargers and vehicles to make it easy for EV drivers to begin charging sessions – all without having to use apps, accounts or RFID cards.

At Spirii, we’re rolling this feature out to CPOs with compatible, validated hardware. This will make public charging really easy for drivers, but this ease of use will also be a great bonus for CPOs as it’ll encourage more frictionless usage.

You can learn more about Spirii’s full range of products and services here.

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