EA Plug&Charge Integration Please

[supernu8]

I recently went on a 1100mi road trip though PA,MD,VA,TN,NC and had plenty of charging options along my route.
Stopped at a mix of RAN, EVgo and Electrify America stations and they all worked (with the exception of one EA that took multiple tries to initiate).

That said, the user experience at RAN and EVgo was by far the smoothest, just plugged in and charging started. I feel lucky to have setup plug and charge on EVgo before they stopped allowing new enrollments. Now that Supercharger access is opened up we will have another "plug and charge" option which should be just as seamless.

I strongly feel that this needs to be the standard experience for EV drivers, otherwise it's frustrating, confusing, and another barrier for the average person.

So, to the point of this thread, I haven't heard much lately about Rivian working with EA to get Plug&Charge working. EA is a big enough network that it would make sense to put resources toward making a significant impact on user experience. I hope it's on the roadmap with upcoming R2 targeted for mainstream market since many of those users are going to be interacting with EA.

Anyone heard of movement on this??

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[tjmsquared]

My understanding is that Tesla will also be plug-and-charge for Rivian owners. So, it looks like EA is the only major network that WON"T have it for us. Having said that, EA has always worked well for me in VA. I've never had to use the app -- just swipe my credit card and start charging. It's also generally faster than EVGO which still has a lot of 50KW stations around here.

I'm signed up for plug-and-charge with EVGO too. When did they stop allowing it? Why would they not want as many people as possible to sign up for it?

 

[R.I.P.]

I recently went on a 1100mi road trip though PA,MD,VA,TN,NC and had plenty of charging options along my route.
Stopped at a mix of RAN, EVgo and Electrify America stations and they all worked (with the exception of one EA that took multiple tries to initiate).

That said, the user experience at RAN and EVgo was by far the smoothest, just plugged in and charging started. I feel lucky to have setup plug and charge on EVgo before they stopped allowing new enrollments. Now that Supercharger access is opened up we will have another "plug and charge" option which should be just as seamless.

I strongly feel that this needs to be the standard experience for EV drivers, otherwise it's frustrating, confusing, and another barrier for the average person.

So, to the point of this thread, I haven't heard much lately about Rivian working with EA to get Plug&Charge working. EA is a big enough network that it would make sense to put resources toward making a significant impact on user experience. I hope it's on the roadmap with upcoming R2 targeted for mainstream market since many of those users are going to be interacting with EA.

Anyone heard of movement on this??

I am going to do something here that I don't often do; pass on some second hand information.

Evidently, there is a little bit of a rub between Rivian and EA. EA wants a financial buy-in from Rivian that Rivian has been reluctant to provide.

With superchargers coming online, I would think there is even less of an incentive for Rivian to throw money at EA. I, for one, am using the opportunity to stop using EA altogether. It will become my last ditch solution to charging.

 

[mithun_daa]

I live in TX and we mostly have EVGos around here. Bummed to hear that EVGO used to be integrated. Any idea why they stopped?

 

[supernu8]

I'm signed up for plug-and-charge with EVGO too. When did they stop allowing it? Why would they not want as many people as possible to sign up for it?

I think they hade issues with onboarding people getting charged for someone else's session. They stopped allowing new registrations shortly after introducing the feature. Hopefully they get it resolved, its really nice to have it working.

 

[mkg3]

I recently went on a 1100mi road trip though PA,MD,VA,TN,NC and had plenty of charging options along my route.
Stopped at a mix of RAN, EVgo and Electrify America stations and they all worked (with the exception of one EA that took multiple tries to initiate).

That said, the user experience at RAN and EVgo was by far the smoothest, just plugged in and charging started. I feel lucky to have setup plug and charge on EVgo before they stopped allowing new enrollments. Now that Supercharger access is opened up we will have another "plug and charge" option which should be just as seamless.

I strongly feel that this needs to be the standard experience for EV drivers, otherwise it's frustrating, confusing, and another barrier for the average person.

So, to the point of this thread, I haven't heard much lately about Rivian working with EA to get Plug&Charge working. EA is a big enough network that it would make sense to put resources toward making a significant impact on user experience. I hope it's on the roadmap with upcoming R2 targeted for mainstream market since many of those users are going to be interacting with EA.

Anyone heard of movement on this??

Just used EA on a road trip. At EA, all you have to do, if it's working, is to plug in and use the EA app to select the charging stall/terminal number and tell it to charge. After that, there is nothing to do until you're done charging.

Not quite plug and charge but not as painful as you might expect. As a long time Tesla SC user and now RAN, all I can say is the adaptor cannot get here soon enough.

 

[azbill]

The Tesla P&C is using ISO 15118, which is also what EA uses, it should not be a big deal to add EA, but the certificates are different and Rivian does need to connect to the EA servers.

Another advantage is that we would then have access to real-time status of the EA chargers, just like Ford does. Today with my Mach E, I can jsut plug in at EA, EVGO or Tesla and it just works.

 

[emoore]

One issue with plug and charge is you typically don't get the membership pricing. So I won't be using plug and charge at the Tesla superchargers if possible. If you charge more than 100kWh on a road trip it will be cheaper with a membership.

 

[supernu8]

Another advantage is that we would then have access to real-time status of the EA chargers, just like Ford does. Today with my Mach E, I can jsut plug in at EA, EVGO or Tesla and it just works.

This is another reason I would like to see this happen. Besides, if ford can do it Rivian should be able to figure it out.

EA wants a financial buy-in from Rivian that Rivian has been reluctant to provide.

I guess the big question is if the hold up is due to Rivian not having available resources or EA holding out for a premium.

 

[BigSkies]

I think plug and charge should be a standard feature across all charging networks. Eventually.

I also think the process of setting up and managing various accounts should be doable from the in-car screen instead of needing a phone. Eventually.

One of the less-recognized barriers to adoption is reliance on mobile phones. It’s not an issue for younger generations, but it can be a hurdle for older owners. Both of my parents would probably consider an EV. Yet my mom doesn’t own a smart phone and doesn’t want one. My dad has one, but it’s usually turned off and he doesn’t always carry it.

What does their EV user experience look like?

I’ll also say that about half my EA charing issues have been due to broken payment components (either the card reader or the near-field reader). P&C could potentially reduce these points of failure.

 

[azbill]

I also think the process of setting up and managing various accounts should be doable from the in-car screen instead of needing a phone. Eventually.

Ford already has an in car app to start charging on any supported network, even without P&C. This includes networks that do not support P&C. And for vehicles that support CP/AA, you can also initiate from t h e screen in the car. I have a third party screen in my Rivian for Carplay and use that to initiate on EA.

 

[Autolycus]

Ford already has an in car app to start charging on any supported network, even without P&C. This includes networks that do not support P&C. And for vehicles that support CP/AA, you can also initiate from t h e screen in the car. I have a third party screen in my Rivian for Carplay and use that to initiate on EA.

CarPlay and AA don't help someone without a smart phone.

I think plug and charge should be a standard feature across all charging networks. Eventually.

I also think the process of setting up and managing various accounts should be doable from the in-car screen instead of needing a phone. Eventually.

One of the less-recognized barriers to adoption is reliance on mobile phones. It’s not an issue for younger generations, but it can be a hurdle for older owners. Both of my parents would probably consider an EV. Yet my mom doesn’t own a smart phone and doesn’t want one. My dad has one, but it’s usually turned off and he doesn’t always carry it.

What does their EV user experience look like?

I’ll also say that about half my EA charing issues have been due to broken payment components (either the card reader or the near-field reader). P&C could potentially reduce these points of failure.

The NEVI funding explicitly requires a payment method other than smartphones for good reason.

 

[U100]

With superchargers coming online, I would think there is even less of an incentive for Rivian to throw money at EA. I, for one, am using the opportunity to stop using EA altogether. It will become my last ditch solution to charging.

^^This. Assuming I receive my free adapter from Rivian sometime within the next six months, I have no intention of ever stopping an an EA station again. My experience with EA has been terrible - always stuck in a back, dimly lit corner of a Wal-Mart with two of the four chargers inoperable. There are Tesla superchargers at Buc-ee’s along my usual trip routes; they’ll be getting my future business.

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