Why does Plug & Charge not work at every charger?

Car, charger, backend, contract and trust all have to support it. If one is missing, the session starts with a card or app instead.

Explained in

Plug & Charge · Stop 06Why does Plug & Charge not work everywhere yet?Car, charger, backend, contract and trust all have to fit: the five conditions of a Plug & Charge session, and what improves interoperability.

Each of the five conditions sits with a different company: the car manufacturer, the charger manufacturer, the operator, the provider and the certificate authorities. Plug & Charge works only where all of them meet.

From “Five parties have to meet”, stop 06

Terms

  1. Plug & ChargeThe car identifies itself with a certificate when plugged in, so no card or app is needed.
  1. How does Plug & Charge work?The car carries a contract certificate and presents it to the charger over the cable. The backend checks it, and charging starts without a card or app.
  2. Who issues Plug & Charge certificates?Certificate authorities that operate V2G roots, with trust lists that let several roots work together. CharIN coordinates governance but does not operate a PKI.
  3. What is ISO 15118-20?The second generation of ISO 15118, published in 2022. It adds bidirectional power transfer, wireless communication and automatic connection; a 2026 amendment adds megawatt charging and grid services.