Charging without an app and card: BMW Group introduces Plug & Charge function and is the first manufacturer to integrate multiple charging contracts in the car.

With pioneering innovations in the field of digital vehicle functions, the BMW Group is once again helping to make electric mobility more convenient and attractive. From mid-2023, a Plug&Charge function will be available in the first BMW models, enabling customers to charge electricity at public charging points without having to use a charging card or app. The authentication required to start the charging process and for billing is carried out automatically by means of a data exchange between the vehicle and the charging station.

At the same time BMW Charging is expanding its extensive portfolio of charging services with this feature, provided by Digital Charging Solutions GmbH (DCS). Also, the new functionality allows Plug&Charge access to the IONITY charging network initiated by BMW.

The offer is characterised by its unique flexibility: The BMW Group is the first car manufacturer to integrate a multi-contract functionality into its Plug&Charge offering. This allows customers to digitally store their current multiple charging contracts from at least five different providers in the vehicle and use the charging stations of these operators in a particularly convenient way. For this purpose, the current and future standards of ISO-15118-2 and ISO 15118-20 have been integrated.
 

Charging easier than refuelling: The vehicle authenticates itself.

Plug&Charge is a function that makes charging the high-voltage battery even easier than refuelling a conventionally powered vehicle. All the customer has to do is connect the charging point to the charging port of his vehicle - and data will flow via the charging cable in addition to electricity. There is no need to activate the energy feed-in using an app or charging card. Instead, the vehicle authenticates itself independently by transmitting the customer’s contract data. This means that at the end of the charging process, the electricity fed into the grid is also billed fully automatically.

Additional benefit of this system: Unlike activating the charging process via app, automatic authentication by the vehicle does not require an online connection at the charging location. This is particularly advantageous in underground garages.

Unique flexibility: BMW Charging Account, private and company contracts are stored digitally.

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. 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.

This flexibility, realised for the first time in the field of electric mobility, makes charging the high-voltage battery easier, especially for users of company vehicles with electrified drives. Not only can they use BMW Charging’s nationwide network, but they can also obtain electricity just as conveniently from providers with whom their employer has concluded a separate charging contract - for charging points on company premises, for example. In both cases, after connecting the charging cable, the customer only has to select and confirm the corresponding contract in the respective menu of the vehicle operating system to start the charging process.

The BMW Group will be demonstrating the "Multi Contract Plug&Charge" function in public for the first time at the Intercharge Network Conference, which will take place in Berlin from 12 September.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2021, the BMW Group sold over 2.5 million passenger vehicles and more than 194,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2021 was € 16.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 111.2 billion. As of 31 December 2021, the BMW Group had a workforce of 118,909 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products

Hubject GmbH

Hubject simplifies the charging of electric vehicles. Through its eRoaming platform, intercharge, the eMobility specialist connects Charge Point Operators or CPOs and eMobility Service Providers or EMPs, enabling unified, grid-independent access to charging infrastructure. With over 400,000 connected charging points and more than 1,000 B2B partners in 52 countries and four continents, Hubject has created the world’s largest cross provider charging network for electric vehicles by connecting CPO networks. In addition, Hubject is a trusted consulting partner in the eMobility market, advising car manufacturers, charging providers and other EV-related businesses looking to launch eMobility services or implement Plug&Charge according to ISO 15118. Visit hubject.com for more information! 

Digital Charging Solutions GmbH (DCS)

Digital Charging Solutions GmbH (DCS) develops public charging solutions for automotive OEMs and fleet operators and is thus one of the most important global drivers of the change to electromobility. These white label public charging solutions provide access to multiple networks of Charge Point Operators (CPO) and enable drivers of electric vehicles to find, use and pay for public charging in an easy and seamless way. Our public charging network includes different types of charging stations (AC / DC) in several markets. We provide many years of experience of launching and developing a public charging service in those markets. Since the beginning of 2019, Digital Charging Solutions GmbH has been part of the mobility joint venture between the BMW Group and Daimler AG. In October 2021 bp followed as third shareholder.
More about DCS: https://digitalchargingsolutions.com/web/dcs-global

More about CHARGE NOW: https://chargenow.com/web/de/cn-de