Electrify America to Simplify Charging with Select EV Models in 2021
Electrify America streamlines EV charging for a range of models in 2021, calling it Plug&Charge. Also, a Tesla owner reveals her beta Full Self Driving videos.
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While charging networks keep adding stations across the U.S., many EV drivers experience a cumbersome charging process when trying to initiate a session, think RFID cards, calling service number to initiate a session, etc. That’s why Electrify America is partnering with Ford, Porsche and Lucid Air, and offering Plug & Charge, an integrated charging process for the Mustang Mach-E, Porsche Taycan and Lucid Air owners in 2021.
According to Electrify America (EA), this new charging protocol allows owners to register online, pull into to a charger stall, plug in and begin an “electric fueling” session. The EA charger automatically identifies, authenticates, authorizes and bills the customer.
The charging process is the same as Tesla Supercharging network, where charging stations recognize the car once an owner plugs in. There’s no need for a credit card or RFID card to initiate a charging session.
The only difference is Electrify America’s network will work for all three models, while Tesla’s supercharging stations are just for Tesla vehicles.
The EA charging solution will be available across all 500 stations and its 2,200 individual chargers.
“Once a Plug&Charge account is created, EV drivers can simply plug in their vehicle and the charger handles the financial transaction,” says said Cliff Fietzek, senior director of technology at Electrify America.
This charging process is ideal and should help push a positive anecdotes to social media and other News outlets. It’s great move by Electrify America and it reinforces the concept of simple “electric fueling.”
And Here You Go…
Videos | Self-Driving Progress at Tesla
Kim Paquette is big-time EV enthusiast, a spin-meister of exotice cocktails and Model 3 owner, who’s been testing the beta version of Full Self-Driving (FSD). She’s been providing some of the best video clips since the beta release in early November, see below.
So I just got the CHAdeMO adapter for my Tesla Model 3 SR+ and even did a video on it. The first time I seemed to manage ok. The 2nd time was fumbling with my phone starting the session, trying to plug the clunky adapter in, then into the car charging port the hit start on the charging station. Then for some reason didn’t have a great connection and started the whole process over. No adapter and or plug and play where the car does the digital “handshake” would be so much easier! I should probably do a video on how not to do it, LOL