And then everything came together.
Find a suitable, accessible and available charging station; charge; For many electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the U.S., having to pay for service before driving is anything but a seamless experience
That's about to change thanks to a just-announced initiative from the Biden administration and a private consortium of charging networks, automakers and other mid-level infrastructure players.
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The consortium says it will launch a universal plug-and-charge protocol in 2025 to allow all electric vehicles to easily plug in and charge at all public stations in the United States.
“Universal Plug & Charge improves the electric fueling experience – making it even easier than fueling with gasoline,” Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, said in a statement. “We are quickly approaching a future where any electric vehicle driver can simply plug in, charge and go; The network communicates with your car and processes the payment seamlessly.”
In a recent study, research firm Accenture cited charging infrastructure as one of the top three reasons stopping many from purchasing an electric vehicle – the other two being high upfront costs and potential lifestyle disruption.
At least in the US, charging infrastructure has grown rapidly in recent years, led by companies like Chargepoint, Tesla's SuperCharger network, Electrify America and the Rivian Adventure network. Even big box retailers like Costco and Walmart are expanding their electric vehicle charging capacity.
However, electric vehicle drivers continue to have a rather fragmented charging experience.
On the one hand, many EV models still have different charging ports – the old Combined Charging System (CCS) or Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS). On the other hand, electric vehicle drivers have relied on apps from their vehicle manufacturers for everything from finding the right charging stations to connecting to different payment platforms.
As soon as the new universal plug and charge protocol is implemented, vehicles, chargers and charging networks will be able to “communicate with each other” for the first time.
“No more using multiple apps or payment methods,” says the consortium. For electric vehicle drivers, this promises “faster, automated charging with every public station and every car.”
