You pull up at a charging hub, plug the cable into the car and charging starts. No card to tap, no app to open, no QR code to scan. That is Plug and Charge. It does not work everywhere, so here is how it fits together and what you can check yourself.
How does it work?
The car and the charger talk to each other through the charging cable itself. The standard behind this is called ISO 15118. Your car stores a digital certificate linked to your charging contract with a provider. When you plug in, the car presents that certificate to the charger. The charger checks that it is valid, starts the session and passes the data on to your provider. The provider bills you under your contract, just as with a charging card.
So the only thing that changes is how you identify yourself. What you pay still depends on your tariff and on the operator of the charger. You can read more in what is an EV charging card.
What do you need?
Three things have to line up:
- Your car supports the feature and it is switched on.
- The charger supports the standard, and its operator accepts your contract.
- You have a contract with a provider that offers Plug and Charge, with a certificate installed in your car.
If one link is missing, charging falls back to a normal start with a card or app. To find out whether your car and your provider work together, check the documentation from both. Whether a particular charger can do it is sometimes shown in the operator’s app.
A worked example
Say finding, opening and confirming your card or app takes 30 seconds per session on average. If you charge in public 40 times a year, that is 40 x 30 seconds = 1,200 seconds, or 20 minutes. On its own that is little. Plug and Charge pays off mostly when things are awkward: rain, cold hands, a child in the back seat, poor reception in an underground car park.
When does it not help?
- If you mostly charge at home, you will gain little. You usually pick a fixed setting on your wallbox anyway.
- If you charge on many different networks, you still need your card or app whenever a charger does not support it. Keep them to hand.
- If you drive abroad, whether your contract works with Plug and Charge there depends on agreements between providers. See charging abroad.
- If you switch provider, the certificate is tied to your old contract. A new certificate usually has to be installed in the car. Ask your new provider how that works.
What if it does not start?
- Check that the cable is firmly seated at both the car and the charger.
- Look at the charger screen or the car menu to see whether Plug and Charge is active.
- Unplug the cable, wait half a minute and plug it in again. The communication then starts afresh.
- If it still fails, start with your card or app. Your car stays connected, so there is nothing to undo.
- Report it to the provider or operator if it keeps going wrong on the same charger.
If the charger is simply dead or shows an error, Plug and Charge is usually not the cause. See broken charger: what to do.
Is it safe?
The certificate works like a digital key. The car does not hand it to just any charger: the communication is encrypted and the charger has to prove it is trustworthy too. That is considerably sturdier than a card someone can copy or lose. Still, you depend on the party that issues the certificate and stores your data. Read your provider’s terms, and look at what they record about your charging habits and for how long.
What is still changing
The rollout is uneven. Which cars, chargers and providers support it changes regularly, and sometimes a feature only arrives with a software update. It is best to check what applies to your combination just before you sign a contract or plan a long trip.
Which chargers are near you and how you pay at them is shown on the map.