Electrify America and Hubject, a recognized leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging interoperability and “Plug&Charge” technology capabilities, announced a strategic agreement that will allow people to pay for their electric vehicle charging simply by plugging in their vehicles.

Hubject will provide its expertise to Electrify America in a variety of areas surrounding the implementation of the global standard ISO 15118 (earlier post) into the North American market, the most prevalent functionality for what is commonly referred to as “Plug&Charge.”

By bringing ISO 15118 to all of Electrify America’s DC fast and home AC chargers, this technology is also the first step to enable EV smart charging and vehicle to grid (V2G) communications. It enables the vehicle to automatically authenticate and authorize a charging session using secure digital communication, eliminating the need for membership RFID cards, credit cards or mobile apps.

With Plug&Charge-enabled vehicles and infrastructure, an EV driver will simply plug the charger into the vehicle and the charging session will begin automatically. Electrify America will be the first DC fast charging network in the United States to provide this technology at its charging stations. Several automakers are beginning to add this capability in their cars.

Hubject was selected by Electrify America because of its expertise and a European track record of leading in eMobility technology initiatives, especially in the development of Plug&Charge support products and services.

With a focus on both future and present-day electric vehicles, Electrify America’s charging systems have a range in power from 50kW, the most commonly used fast charging for electric vehicles today, up to 150kW and 350kW for its highway stations. All of those stations are prepared for Plug&Charge and will be updated with software later this year. The company will install more than 500 DC fast charging station sites in the United States by the end of 2019.

Additionally, Electrify America is also working with Hubject to test the ISO 15118 capability of electric vehicles and charging equipment manufacturers (EVSEs) to validate their cars and equipment on the Electrify America network to ensure a truly seamless Plug&Charge experience for drivers.

Hubject will begin work on Electrify America’s Plug&Charge initiative immediately.