Photo: BMW
Come next year, BMW customers will be able to charge their vehicles without using a charging card or an app, but rather through a function where the car independently authenticates itself at charging stations using digitally stored registration data.
Dubbed Plug & Charge, this innovative function will make charging your EV or PHEV much quicker – even the billing is carried out automatically through a data exchange between the vehicle and a particular charging station. Concurrently, BMW is now the first carmaker to integrate multiple charging contracts in a car.
Customers will be able to digitally store charging contracts from at least five different providers. Furthermore, Plug & Charge will also allow customers access to the IONITY charging network.
Just how simple is this process, you ask? Well, as soon as you connect the charging point to the charging port of the vehicle, both electricity as well as data will begin to flow, without you having to activate anything via an app or with a charging card – you don’t even need an online connection at your charging location, which can really come in handy in underground garages.
“Previous Plug&Charge solutions were always tied to a single, fixed electricity provider. The solution that will be available for BMW models in the future, on the other hand, offers a unique level of flexibility,” said the Bavarian car brand.
“The customer can digitally store the individual access data for several current multiple charging contracts in the vehicle. This gives him the option of accessing both his BMW Charging Account and other individual contracts while on the road. The only prerequisite for this: The corresponding providers must be connected to Hubject's Europe-wide eRoaming network.”
The BMW Group will demonstrate ‘Multi Contract Plug & Charge’ in public at the Intercharge Network Conference in Berlin, starting today, September 12.
Customers will be able to digitally store charging contracts from at least five different providers. Furthermore, Plug & Charge will also allow customers access to the IONITY charging network.
Just how simple is this process, you ask? Well, as soon as you connect the charging point to the charging port of the vehicle, both electricity as well as data will begin to flow, without you having to activate anything via an app or with a charging card – you don’t even need an online connection at your charging location, which can really come in handy in underground garages.
“Previous Plug&Charge solutions were always tied to a single, fixed electricity provider. The solution that will be available for BMW models in the future, on the other hand, offers a unique level of flexibility,” said the Bavarian car brand.
“The customer can digitally store the individual access data for several current multiple charging contracts in the vehicle. This gives him the option of accessing both his BMW Charging Account and other individual contracts while on the road. The only prerequisite for this: The corresponding providers must be connected to Hubject's Europe-wide eRoaming network.”
The BMW Group will demonstrate ‘Multi Contract Plug & Charge’ in public at the Intercharge Network Conference in Berlin, starting today, September 12.
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