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 EcoG® Plug & Charge, an innovation that stands ready to accelerate the rollout of 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.
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 EcoG® Plug & Charge solution in partnership with Hubject. The advantage of EcoG® Plug & Charge 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.
EcoG is a global IP and tech company working on the rapid expansion of sustainable charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. With its charge controllers, reference designs and software, it enables companies to get products & services to market quickly and scale profitably.
EcoG is already the market leader in Europe with more than 15% market share and a strong footprint in the Indian and North American markets. 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. The company continues to grow in 2024 and as a next step invests 14,4M$ in its North American HQ in the USA.