One of Australia's largest electric car-charging networks will test drive cashless technology to remove another barrier to adopting the transport technology.
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Evie Networks announced plans to introduce "Autocharge" technology to more than 80 per cent of its network on Wednesday, to be tested by a select group of users before a widespread rollout in August.
The technology comes in addition to other industry efforts to reduce drivers' reliance on apps at charging stations, including RFID cards that work across networks.
Evie Networks public charging head Bernhard Conoplia said the company invested in the technology after drivers expressed concerns about the complexity of charging vehicles at public facilities.
"Thirty per cent of Australian drivers have told us they do not feel confident about mastering EV charging related technology, which is why we have prioritised activating the Autocharge feature," he said.
"This is a game changer for drivers, enabling simplicity in their charging experience across the Evie network."
The feature, which must be set up in the company's app, is compatible with electric vehicles from brands including Tesla, BYD, MG, Volvo and Polestar, and automatically recognises the vehicle when users plug in a charging cable.
The feature eliminates the need to use the Evie Networks' app to identify the location the charger or a RFID (radio frequency identification) credit card to tap on a reader.
Mr Conoplia said the technology would be made available to all users at 83 per cent of its 255 charging locations in early August.
Australian Electric Vehicle Association national president Chris Jones said the feature was likely part of an industry push to make charging electric cars as simple as plugging them in.
"What they're proposing is a slight improvement on what they've already got," he said.
"I'm glad they appreciate that people want this to be easier."
But Dr Jones said RFID cards, like those sold to drivers by the association and by Evie Networks, were almost as simple to use and would work across different charging networks.
Changes to Evie Networks could affect much of Australia's electric car fleet as the company operates the second largest network in the country, with 23 per cent of charging sites, following Chargefox with 34 per cent, according to data firm Next System.
Electric cars made up eight per cent of new vehicles sold in Australia during June, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and represented more than 50,000 vehicle sales in the first six months of the year.
Australian Associated Press
