Tritium’s electric car “plug and charge” tech could turn cars into phones on wheels

The Driven

World first “plug and charge” technology for electric vehicles introduced by Australia’s Tritium could see cars transform into more than just a mode of transport.

First introduced in May, Tritium’s potentially revolutionary EV plug and charge could upturn the EV industry just as “plug and play” technology did to computers and gaming.

A new white paper released by the Brisbane-based company, which produces and sells high-powered EV charging units in more than 30 continues, describes a vision that could see the technology do more than change the way we charge.

It says this could improve the in-car charging experience to allow an electric car to become a payment device synonymous with today’s “tap and go” smartphone technology, or be bundled as a service with charging, insurance and other fees all included.

While the concept of paying for a product as a service is a trend that we’re starting to see in many industries (such as software-as-a-service, or S-A-A-S), its the first time we’ve heard of cars being proposed as a payment device.

According to Tritium’s head of market strategy, and the author of the white paper, Nathan Dunlop, Tritium’s plug and charge technology is ideal for this because it has already been designed for the utmost security and to, well, pay for charging.

“As it is secure and utilises advanced cryptographic techniques, we believe the vehicle will follow a similar technology roadmap to the smartphone which is no longer just a phone, but a tap-and-go payment method and an essential device beyond its ability to simply make calls,” he said.

“The technology behind Plug and Charge will lead to Automakers, Charge Point Operators and Utilities innovating new offerings and re-defining how the EV is used – it won’t be seen simply as a method from getting from A to B, but a way to interact with and/or pay for C.”

Imagine driving through parcel pickup and not needing to pull out the wallet, or forgetting your smartphone and paying with your car.

To read the full version of this story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

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