Just as petrol/diesel vehicle owners pay at petrol pumps, electric vehicle owners too have to pay to charge their vehicles at EV charging stations. But a few key factors make EV owners different from conventional car owners. Multiple studies have pointed towards the relationship between tech savvy consumers and their preferences when it comes to buying their next vehicle. Research suggests that ‘tech fluency’ is an indicator of preference when it comes to buying regular fuel-powered vehicles or EVs. Tech savvy people are more likely to buy electric vehicles. Apart from the purchase decision, these tech savvy people are also open to online payment methods for EV charging.
EV charging infrastructure companies not only rely on expanding coverage to ensure widespread charger availability, but also offer multiple convenient online payment methods to make the lives of electric vehicle owners easier.
The most seamless way to initiate charging at an EV charging station is via an RFID card. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards have a chip that enables contactless transfer of information between the card and the RFID reader at the charging station. If the RFID card doesn’t work, then the charging process can be initiated via scanning a QR code or through the EV charging app. Initiating the charging process through the RFID card is very convenient as it does not require internet connectivity. Internet networks on highways can be poor or intermittent. You can place an order for these RFID cards via apps or websites of EV charging infrastructure companies (like Tata Power EZ Charge, Zeon Charging, etc). The ordering process is similar to FASTag or High Security Registration Plate (HSRP).
All EV charging infrastructure companies have well-designed mobile apps that allow you to pay for the charging session via net banking, credit card, debit card, UPI or online wallet. A digital wallet (Amazon Pay, PayTM, etc) linked to the EV charging app is the most preferred way of payment.
Apart from wallets, if you pre-authorize your cards or UPI (preferably, with a limit), the payment process can be a breeze.
Scan the barcode and download the EV Joints app to find 6,000 EV charging stations across various networks.
Click & download the EVJoints app to find 6,000 charging stations.
The image below shows the interface of the Servotech EV charging app. As visible, you can add your card details & netbanking details, or link your wallets or pay via UPI.
The invoice for the charging session is sent on the registered email ID and is also immediately available on the app screen at the end of the charging session.
Conclusion:
As EV ownership increases, public EV charging infrastructure will become more important and its usage will experience a continuous increase. Unlike petrol pumps, most EV charging stations are unmanned. You cannot pay by cash, so you have to go cashless. It is vital that EV charging infra companies & EV charging aggregators offer multiple payment methods to serve customers better.
