Tritium, a Brisbane-based fast-charging company, recently launched a one of its kind Plug & Charge technology. The breakthrough couldn't have come at a better timing seeing as the automotive industry is currently transitioning to environment-friendly autos. 

This game-changing technology charges the EV's battery and bills the customer's account simultaneously. Think of it as a smoother and simpler way of charging your EV. The Plug & Charge technology that is now available on the market leverages the ISO15118 standard.

Seamless Technology

The science behind how this technology works is mind-boggling, to say the least. It lets your car and the charger communicate and authorize payment for the service from your account. No cards, no RFID tags required – just seamless communication and technology at its finest.  

This homegrown offering is the first of its kind to hit the market, and it will be potentially big for Tritium - a world leader in electric vehicle DC fast charging technology. The company confirmed that it would be available on PK350kW DC high power chargers. 

It is also set to reshape the customer experience for EV owners and break down the once-siloed charging payment approach. The technology features charging networks that can interoperate. EV drivers will now be able to use chargers irrespective of the charging network operator. The charging session is then automatically billed right from the moment charging starts.

According to Tritium CTO and co-founder James Kennedy, "This firmly and irreversibly tips the convenience scales to the recharging experience over the refuelling experience." 

He explained that it could be compared to charging our phones, except that it will simultaneously charge our bank accounts without the need for a membership card. This revolutionary technology, which will do away with swiping bank cards at terminals, is the world's first and most secure iteration so far. Once made available to the masses, it will render all earlier payment methods obsolete. 

Hassle-free 

Tritium's Plug & Charge promises to iron out creases in the current charging routine. In the past, for most EV chargers, car owners would have to sign up for that network's system to charge their cars. They'd also have to manually set up the sessions making the whole process so tedious.

As this tech promises to fix these payment issues, it also advances the EV technology.

By taking the hassle away from the EV experience, operators will benefit from the seamless flow of transactions. For this technology to reach the critical mass, charge point operators need to invest and adopt on a large scale.

Security Priority

With this new technology, you won't need to worry about linking your bank info online. Your information will be securely stored from the reaches of fraudsters. 

According to Kennedy, the technology "ensures we are securely storing cryptographic keys on the charger side in a way that other chargers can't. You're more likely to lose a card and have someone swipe it somewhere than by someone being able to access account details via our Plug and Charge technology." 

Secure & Simultaneous Charging

The company's head assured users that the technology would be far much secure than the card-swipe and RFID tag payment approaches that are currently in use.

Hubject, a third-party data exchange service provider, is responsible for cryptographic certifications between the vehicle and the charger. Kennedy further added that EVs would have to secure the vehicle-side cryptographic key and be built with the technology, the same way that smartphones have built-in NFC technology.

Tried and Tested

The company has been conducting tests of the Plug & Charge technology at several PK350kW DC High Power chargers in Germany. Tests were also carried out in the company's E-Mobility Innovation Centre in Amsterdam. 

Tritium strategically placed its innovation centre in Amsterdam, the epicentre of Europe's automotive manufacturing sector, leading to the rapid development of the charging technology.

Bright Future

Last year, Tritium recorded a loss of about $50 million. The company, however, explains that it's focused on developing projects that'll be worthwhile in no time. Judging by what the company has achieved so far, it seems the company is headed the right way.

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By Sam O.