If you own an electric car, you already know that filling up your battery at a charging station can be a bit of a hassle. The problem is that these charging stations are owned by different companies that each have their own networks and payment methods. For many years now, electric car owners have had to drive up to a charging station, figure out which company runs it, and sign up for the appropriate account.
This seems like a lot to go through just to charge a battery, right? Well, electric car owners won’t have to go through this needless hassle much longer, thanks to Tritium. This new system allows drivers to seamlessly charge their cars at any charging station, regardless of whether you’ve signed up to the network or not. Essentially, the car itself will carry all of the necessary information to register for whatever charging network you’ve stopped at.
In addition, Tritium will automatically handle the payment process. This means that all you need to do is get out of your car, plug it in, and drive away once you’re finished. Think of your car like an oversized smartphone – the charging station only needs to “scan” your car to process the payment. This is similar to Apple Pay or a tappable debit card.
While it’s true that Tritium is hardly the first company to expedite the charging process, previous attempts haven’t had much of an impact. Even with methods involving swipeable RFID cards and smartphones, most drivers prefer to charge their cars at home.
Even if you’re already signed up to the correct charging network when you pull into a station, there’s still the hassle of searching for that RFID card or logging into your account on your smartphone. Because there are so many different charging networks out there today, it’s no surprise that most electric automobilists simply charge at home.
The most exciting thing about Tritium is that it can potentially make charging an electric car even more convenient than filling up your tank with gas. This will make electric cars even more attractive to the average consumer, and it could cause more people to abandon combustion engines – especially when they see someone charge their electric car and zoom off into the distance without even paying.
Of course, electric cars still have a long way to go. While the process of charging your car and paying your bill might have been simplified with Tritium, combustion engines still have the edge when it comes to speed. While you’ll only need a few minutes to fill up your tank with gas, even the fastest-charging electric cars take about 20 minutes to add 60-200 miles of range. Still, that could be a perfect opportunity to grab a cup of coffee or enjoy a quick snack.
One thing’s for sure: electric cars are steadily becoming increasingly viable, and companies like Tritium are helping them become more convenient for the average motorist.
