And then, it all came together.
Finding an adequate, accessible and available charging station, charging up, and paying for the service before hitting the road, has all been far from a seamless experience for many drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S.
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That’s about to change thanks to a just-announced initiative by the Biden administration and a private consortium of charging networks, automakers, and other infrastructure middle-players.
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The consortium says it will establish a universal plug-and-charge protocol to allow all EVs to just plug in and charge at all public stations in the U.S. in 2025.
“Universal Plug & Charge levels up the electric fueling experience — making it even easier than filling up with gas,” says Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, in a statement. “We are rapidly approaching a future where every EV driver can just plug in, charge up, and go; the network will talk to your car and process the payment seamlessly.”
In a recent study, research firm Accenture cited charging infrastructure as one of the top three reasons deterring many from buying an EV — the other two being high upfront costs and potential lifestyle disruptions.
In the U.S. at least, charging infrastructure has been fast expanding over the past few years, led by the likes of Chargepoint, Tesla’s SuperCharger network, Electrify America, or the Rivian Adventure network. Even wholesale retailers such as Costco and Walmart are adding EV-charging capacity.
Yet, EV drivers have continued to have somewhat of a fragmented charging experience.
On the one hand, many EV models still feature different charging ports – the old Combined Charging System (CCS) or Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). On the other hand, EV drivers have had to rely on apps from their vehicle’s manufacturer for everything from finding the right charging stations to connecting with various payment platforms.
Once implemented, the new universal plug & charge protocol will allow vehicles, chargers and charging networks to “talk to each other” for the first time.
“No more using multiple apps or payment methods,” the consortium says. For EV drivers, this promises “faster, automated charging with any public station and any car.”