eDRV Launches Plug & Go App-less EV Charging

Here at eDRV, our goal is to make electric vehicle charging more convenient for everyone, from drivers to network operators. Today, we are thrilled to announce a new feature, Plug & Go, to deliver EV drivers an app-less charging experience.

What is Plug & Go?

Plug & Go is an EV charging management solution that allows drivers to pull up to an eDRV managed charging station, plug in their vehicle, and walk away until it's ready. No phone, no RFID cards, and no hassle necessary. 

We believe that the current EV charging experience is sub-optimal. To participate, drivers have to download apps, sign up for charging plans, reload RFID cards, or take any number of inconvenient steps to charge their vehicles. That's not good enough.

To get everybody to make the switch to electric vehicles, we've made plugging in and recharging an electric car as easy as plugging in your phone. 

How does it work?

Communication is a two-way street. Plug & Go opens both lanes so that the vehicle and the charger can work together to facilitate this new service.

The only company currently providing this experience to customers is Tesla, but only at Tesla-branded chargers. That's because each vehicle is linked to the owner's identity. Once plugged in, Tesla uses the car's intelligence and connectivity to associate a user with a charging session. 

Plug & Go accomplishes this same for any other connected electric vehicle by using the Smartcar APIs to access the vehicle's VIN number. eDRV's charging management software combines several data points to associate the driver with the charging location and starts the session. 

Combining vehicle information with charging management brings app-less charging functionality to 10s of thousands of previously inaccessible electric vehicles.

How do users sign up?

To use Plug & Go, EV owners can sign up on the eDRV website with just four clicks before using a Plug & Go powered charging network for the first time. Then, whenever the car owner plugs their EV into a charging station, eDRV verifies its identity by retrieving information from the vehicle. Once identification is successful, eDRV initiates the charging session, monitors charging status and battery level until it reaches a specified threshold. Using Plug & Go, charging hosts can allot a specified number of miles (driving range) or set target battery thresholds for EV drivers.

In Phase 1, we will be adding functionality for all Tesla models. As mentioned earlier, Tesla drivers can only use this service at Tesla brand chargers. Private and publicly accessible parking lots have a hard time installing Tesla chargers because no other EV brands can use them. Now, Tesla drivers will have that same hands-free experience at all eDRV managed stations regardless of the charging station brand.

In Phase 2, we will be expanding to cover a broader range of EV models that covers most major brands, including Chevrolet, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Audi. We look forward to making charging more convenient and focusing on improving the EV driving experience for drivers all over the world.