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The auto-manufacturers have focused on making more Electric Vehicles and getting more popularity due to their environmental-friendly features. So, rapidly increasing numbers of EVs in the US have pushed more companies in building fast-charging networks. Electrify America is one of the largest public electric vehicle DC fast charging networks operating in the United States. It has at least 500 charging locations and more than 2,200 individual charging units, as of 2020. Electrify American stations are frequently located in parking lots, parking garages of big-box stores, and shopping malls. The company has multi-location agreements with Walmart, Target, and Simon Property Group. Companies like Electrify America are working around the clock to add charging stations in the United States to make EVs ownership easier.

Electrify America has made it cheaper to charge on its network with Volkswagen’s backing. It currently boasts at least 470 charging stations with over 2,000 DC fast chargers. The company has now announced a new feature called Plug&Charge. The feature makes it easier than ever for customers to pay for charging their vehicles. EV drivers can automatically pay for charging at a station simply by plugging in their EV following a brief online registration. The charger communicates with the vehicle to identify the registered account and bill for the session. There is no need for buttons to press, cash, or cards. The new feature is already available and will work on various upcoming EV models. Some of these include the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, 2021 Porsche Taycan, and the Lucid Air.

The senior director of technology at Electrify America, Cliff Fietzek said, “We are investing in customer-focused technologies like Plug&Charge to make the charging experience easier than filling up at a gas pump. We are proud to be the first public charging network to ensure drivers of Plug&Charge-capable vehicles, regardless of manufacturer, can benefit from this simple payment technology”. It is noteworthy that it uses advanced vehicle-to-grid communication technology with high-level encrypted security measures. The entire process follows the ISO 15118 standard (an international guideline) that details secured communication protocol for EVs and charging stations to use during recharging. There are a few auto-manufacturers like General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, making it easier to pay for gas by integrating payment systems into their infotainment units.