EVSE supplier and charging network operator ChargePoint has announced that its entire current hardware portfolio now supports Plug & Charge technology.
Plug & Charge, based on the ISO 15118-20 communication standard, simplifies charging for EV drivers. Instead of navigating proprietary apps or dealing with credit card readers (both common points of failure), drivers simply plug in and go about their business. Authentication and secure billing are handled automatically.
“ChargePoint anticipates that PnC will gain traction, fueling further expansion of EV charging infrastructure, in 2026,” says the company. “It will be particularly useful for the fleet sector and car-sharing businesses.”
Starting January 1, 2027, support for ISO 15118-20 will be mandatory in the EU.
Plug & Charge technology already operates on ChargePoint’s network and via roaming partners in North America and Europe. However, the company points out that scaling it up to encourage widespread adoption will require overcoming complex technical, commercial and regulatory hurdles. (There is also a semantic hurdle. Here at Charged, we say “Plug & Charge,” but some say “Plug and Charge,” and ChargePoint appears to have coined “PnC.”)
Daniel Brown, Senior Director, Product Management at ChargePoint, said: “The consumer demand for Plug & Charge is clear, but scaling access to drivers is a complex exercise in global alignment across hundreds of market players in four key areas.”
To wit:
- Charge Point Operators (CPOs) need to source hardware and backend software that is Plug & Charge-compatible.
- E-mobility service providers, which manage user-facing data and process payments, need to align their offerings with backend providers that manage chargers.
- Car manufacturers (OEMs) must enable their vehicles for Plug & Charge, and prepare their backend software for certificate management by a certification authority.
- Certificate authorities oversee the authentication and all necessary security to ensure a seamless, reliable and trustworthy process for the end user.
The very real challenges of scaling Plug & Charge seem to be the reason that ChargePoint competitor EVgo prefers Autocharge (an alternative seamless charging system based on DIN Spec 70121) for the moment. “We are committed to rolling out the Plug & Charge standard once the intricacies around certification and implementation have been addressed, [but] in the meantime, we continue to support Autocharge+ as our current solution to offer seamless session initiation,” an EVgo spokesperson told Charged.
“As awareness of the benefits of Plug & Charge continues to grow and key players collaborate to remove barriers, we anticipate new levels of alignment and significant momentum in 2026,” added ChargePoint’s Daniel Brown. “With ChargePoint’s global scale and expertise driving this innovation, we are positioned as a key enabler of a competitive, interoperable and secure EV charging ecosystem.”
Source: ChargePoint