Electrify America and Hubject announce the launch of ‘Plug&Charge’

Electrify America and Hubject announced the next significant step in the upcoming launch of a simplified, and convenient system for electric vehicle charging (EV) called “Plug&Charge.”

Drivers will no longer need to reach for a wallet, smartphone or bankcard as the system enables EV drivers to simply plug their vehicle into a charger for the charging session to begin automatically.

By offering the Plug&Charge solution in North America, drivers using Electrify America stations will enjoy faster charging session authentication and authorisation. The new system will be fully operational in 2020, when Plug&Charge-compatible EVs are projected to be available to customers.

The system, operated by Hubject, is a key component in implementing “Plug&Charge” technology and using the ISO 15118 standard across Electrify America's network. The companies took the system live this month for the North American market through a signing procedure at U.S. Bank in Santa Monica, CA. ISO 15118 is an international standard that outlines the secured communication protocol that an electric vehicle and charging station should use to recharge the EV's battery. It enables the simplified charging functionality for the most prevalent EV charging connector type, called the Combined Charging System (CCS).

“The Plug&Charge technology will streamline Electrify America's charging experience,” said Cliff Fietzek, Director of Technology at Electrify America. “We work every day to offer current and future EV owners advanced technologies in charging to help make electric vehicle ownership a reality for both their local and long-distance mobility needs.”

This is a significant step toward making public charging easier for EV drivers by increasing the number of end-to-end services handled by the new North America based ecosystem. The system uses the processes and procedures developed in tandem with security experts around the world to enable encrypted, convenient and fast Plug&Charge functionalities across North America. Hubject's North American based V2G Root and Certificate Authority is the first of its kind and the second system globally, based on Hubject's already established European system. It will enable encrypted communication for a seamless customer charging experience in North America.

“Using ISO 15118 as the basis of charging technology innovation also enables many more future-proof features such as smart charging and bi-directional charging,” said Carsten Puhl, CTO of Hubject GmbH. “These energy management features will be necessary as the number of EVs on the road will be growing faster than the ability to increase energy production in the coming years. Adding a North American based V2G Root for Plug&Charge helps us to securely service our clients on a global basis.”