Today, Allego N.V., a leading pan-European electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider, unveiled what it is promoting as the world’s most secure Plug & Charge technology on its public charging network of fast and ultra-fast chargers in Europe.
The technology is designed to transform the EV charging experience to be as easy and intuitive as charging a smartphone.
The new Plug & Charge system does away with the requirement for RFID cards, bank cards or mobile apps for authorisation and billing. Instead, matching EVs will recognize the charging station and establish a session upon being plugged in.
Such a seamless operation is possible thanks to the open industry standard OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118, which allows for secure certificate-based authentication and encrypted communication.
According to Allego, the service is the safest and most tamper-proof which the market offers. After an EV is plugged in, the EV and the charging system participate in a trustful communication secured by the encrypted digital certificates.
Through this mutual authentication, we prevent all but the authorized vehicles from charging, providing a high level of protection for the driver against fraud and misuse.
“Our mission is to make the charging of an EV at Allego as easy as possible,” said Jean Gadrat, CMO at Allego. “By eliminating the digital friction points, like apps and cards, that come with public infrastructure, we give drivers the confidence to travel further and to charge more conveniently.”
In the city, on the highway, or in another country, plug & charge provides the same, convenient one-step charging experience.
The technology is based on real interoperability, where it is as easy and reliable to use on any of Allegos 5000 fast and ultra fast chargers and compatible partner networks in Europe. The firm said that OCPP 2.0.1 supports remote firmware updates and secure certificate management.
It also means the system is future-proofed, says the company, with new vehicle models and charging technologies supported alongside the likes of dynamic smart charging in the future.
Allego worked with industry leaders Alpitronic, Hubject and Ford to make the introduction of this next-generation Plug & Charge technology possible. This work serves to cement Allego’s positioning as an innovation player and leader in driving the transition to electric mobility in Europe.