Plug & Charge 2 Go – Fast rollout of Plug & Charge into the field with just a mouse click

In the rapidly evolving landscape of electric vehicles (EVs), efficient and user-friendly charging infrastructure plays a critical role in driving adoption. Plug & Charge (P&C) technology presents a crucial solution to streamline the charging process, eliminating authentication complexities. This article delves into the realm of Plug & Charge 2 Go, an innovation that stands ready to accelerate the rollout of Plug & Charge.

Understanding Plug & Charge

For EV drivers, the process of authentication at charging stations has traditionally involved RFID cards, tags, or mobile apps – a series of steps that can be challenging, especially in the fast-paced world we live in. Plug & Charge, however, disrupts this norm. Utilizing the ISO 15118 communication standard, P&C orchestrates an automatic authentication between EVs and charging stations. When an electric vehicle is plugged into a compatible charging station, the authentication process kicks in seamlessly, eliminating the need for external authentication devices or applications.

EcoG’s solution: Plug & Charge 2 Go

The P&C technology holds immense promise, but its broader integration has encountered roadblocks. Presently, only 1% of charging stations are equipped with P&C capabilities. Achieving a comprehensive P&C rollout requires the synchronization of various components: the Charge Point Operator (CPO) backend, charging stations themselves, and the Certificate Authority (CA). This is further complicated by the diverse backend systems and charging hardware manufacturers, resulting in an infinite array of combinations and implementations.

EcoG, a market leader in the field of EV charging, has thus developed its Plug & Charge 2 Go solution in partnership with Hubject. The advantage of Plug & Charge 2 Go lies in its streamlined implementation methodology. 

In a conventional scenario, achieving a comprehensive P&C rollout would entail navigating through a maze of 2,500 different combinations and implementations – where you assume 50 different backends, 50 different charging hardware manufacturers and 1 Certificate Authority and have 50 x 50 x 1 = 2,500. 

However, by seamlessly integrating EcoG OS as the firmware / charger operating system with the Certificate Authority (CA), the process of implementing P&C becomes instantly straightforward. A single mouse click is all it takes. This innovative approach empowers any charger equipped with EcoG OS to seamlessly incorporate P&C functionalities, reducing the 2,500 implementations to 1 – a 100% rollout to any charger powered with EcoG OS becomes possible.

Why is it important?

  • Speed: The conventional process of implementing P&C capabilities is complex and slows down the integration. However, by reducing the number of needed implementations from 2.500 to 1, EcoG’s Plug & Charge 2 Go accelerates the adoption of P&C capabilities into charging stations.
  • Simplicity: Plug & Charge 2 Go reduces worries about the compatibility of charging stations with various backend systems. By enabling chargers to interact directly with the Certificate Authority, chargers are enabled for P&C independently of the capabilities of the used OCPP backend.
  • Scalability: By reducing the number of needed implementations, the streamlined implementation approach benefits not only individual charging station operators but also streamlines maintenance efforts across the industry. Therefore, a scalable approach for P&C is secured.

About EcoG

Munich-based tech company EcoG is working on the rapid and efficient expansion of fast charging stations for electric cars. With its reference designs and charging controllers, EcoG specializes in enabling large manufacturers to get products to market quickly and easily. With its charging technology, EcoG is already the market leader in Europe with more than 15% market share. It has also been supporting the Indian market for two years. Overall, EcoG grew four times faster than the market last year. Industrial giants such as Siemens or one of the world’s largest service station equipment suppliers are among its customers. With a recently received investment of 6 million euros, the company will grow further in 2023 and open a site in the USA.