Are Apps Still Appealing in Public EV Fast Charging?

Contributed Content

Today America’s 4.5+ million EV drivers are frequently asked to navigate a complex patchwork of charge point operator apps, accounts, and mobile wallets to initiate their charging sessions. Monthly subscription discounts, OEM credits, and various pricing mechanisms add even more considerations when refueling. But is this the best experience for EV drivers?

First we’ll look at why EV charging apps rose to dominate the CPO landscape. Then we will explore another option, using credit card readers at the charging terminal as the exclusive way to initiate a charging session.

The Rise of the App-First Model

In the early days of EV infrastructure, charging networks operated as closed systems. Each CPO required its own app and account/membership for access, creating a fragmented landscape for drivers. This approach allowed CPOs to build direct relationships with customers, offer app based loyalty programs and subscriptions, and manage access to their specific hardware. While functional, this system places the burden on the driver, forcing them to juggle multiple apps to get a charge. As the number of charging networks grew, so did the complexity and frustration.

The other challenge to this approach has been payment terminal hardware reliability, which has been a continued source of frustration for EV drivers. A UC Berkeley study conducted in 2022 in the San Francisco area found that payment problems were the predominant source of charging session failures. Of the 495 charging attempts analyzed, 186 (37% of sessions) required more than one payment attempt to start, even if they were ultimately successful.

Even when a CPO use both app-based and payment terminal-based charging session initiation, if the payment terminal hardware is unreliable the experience breaks down. Early CPOs chose hardware from the vending machine space. Both EV charging and vending machines use remote operations and unattended payment authorization, so the choice initially made sense. EV charging, however, operates in harsher environments, requiring CPOs to plan for things like:

● Direct sunlight exposure for large portions of the day

● Thermal changes from precipitation, including snow or rain, or large temperature swings

● Dust and water ingress, especially for the chip reader and magnetic stripe reader

● Wear and tear impact from rough use of the terminals by drivers

● More remote and intermittent network connectivity

Both relying on apps and choosing less reliable payment terminal hardware have led to a situation where payment issues account for 25% to 50% of all charging session failures.

A Simpler Path: The Credit Card Reader

For EV adoption to become mainstream, the experience needs to be as simple and familiar as pulling up to a gas pump.

To meet this goal, some CPOs like IONNA and Mercedes Benz are eliminating the need for proprietary apps and accounts by making credit card readers the primary method for payment and session authorization. This model mirrors the universal tap or swipe payment experience drivers have known for decades at other retail establishments.

Hardware manufacturers like Electric Era are making the choice to integrate charging stations with robust and rugged credit card readers that can operate in all environments. “It’s as simple as you show up, you tap, you walk away” shared Quincy Lee, CEO of Electric Era. “You don’t have to touch anything, you don’t have to download an app or try to get a signal, and you certainly should have to upload money to an app to start a charge.” Giving the EV driver one straightforward method of session initiation eliminates the confusion and annoyance of multiple apps and frustration of payment terminals that don’t work as intended.

Another way to make charging easy for drivers is to ensure compatibility with ISO 15118, also known as Plug-and-Charge. By linking payment and authentication information directly to the car and having the technology in the charger to handle this information, charging sessions can start as soon as the cable is plugged into the car with no additional steps needed.

EV drivers today don’t need another app. They need simple charging hardware that fits seamlessly with their travel needs. Expect to see more CPOs make the switch away from apps to instead rely just on credit card readers and Plug-and-Charge technology in the future.

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