ChargePoint Is First to Simplify Electric Vehicle Charging by Empowering Drivers to Charge Any EV with a Phone or Apple Watch
Breakthrough “tap to charge” app feature gives EV drivers more choices and uses near field communication (NFC) technology to deliver a premier charging experience
Campbell, Calif. – September 28, 2017 – ChargePoint, Inc., the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, today announced that, for the first time, drivers can start charging any EV by tapping an iPhone, Android Phone or Apple Watch on any ChargePoint charger. The new “tap to charge” feature works at more than 40,000 ChargePoint charging spots across North America, making ChargePoint the first company to empower EV drivers to start a charge by tapping their phone or Apple Watch. ChargePoint is also the first company to enable charging an EV with Apple Watch.
Global EV sales continue to grow by double digits year over year, with over 30 EV models now available for drivers to choose from. As more and more communities incentivize drivers to go electric, EV penetration will continue to grow and drivers will seek out the easiest and most convenient way to charge. Tap to charge radically simplifies the EV charging experience and allows new and experienced EV drivers to easily start a charge by tapping their phone on any ChargePoint station.
“ChargePoint is committed to getting every driver behind the wheel of an EV, and a major part of achieving that goal is making it as easy as possible for drivers to charge,” said Colleen Jansen, chief marketing officer, ChargePoint, Inc. “Tap to charge delivers on that commitment and fosters EV adoption by providing the easiest way for drivers to charge wherever they live, work and play. The ownership experience is key to broader EV adoption, and trailblazing features like tap to charge make fueling your EV much more simple and convenient than the gas vehicle it likely replaced.”
To use tap to charge, drivers with Android version 4.4 or higher simply enable NFC, log in to the ChargePoint app, unlock the phone screen and tap their phone on the station to charge. Drivers with iPhone 6 or higher or Apple Watch create a ChargePoint Pass by pressing “Add Pass to Apple Wallet” in the ChargePoint app, then place their finger on Touch ID and tap the phone on the station to charge. Apple Watch owners just double-click the side button and hold the watch near the contactless reader.
Any EV driver can find places to charge on a variety of charging networks in the ChargePoint app, which can start a charge at more than 40,000 ChargePoint stations across North America. It takes just minutes to set up a free ChargePoint account and start charging right away with tap to charge. In addition to using tap to charge, drivers can charge using a free ChargePoint RFID card (available with account setup) or by pressing the “Start Charge” button in the app.
For more information or to get the ChargePoint app, visit https://www.chargepoint.com/drivers/mobile/. For more information about tap to charge, please visit: https://www.chargepoint.com/blog/charge-your-ev-your-phone-discover-tap-charge/.
About ChargePoint
ChargePoint is the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the world, with charging solutions in every category EV drivers charge, at home, work, around town and on the road. With more than 40,000 independently owned charging spots and more than 7,000 customers (businesses, cities, agencies and service providers), ChargePoint is the only charging technology company on the market that designs, develops and manufactures hardware and software solutions across every use case. Leading EV hardware makers and other partners rely on the ChargePoint network to make charging station details available in mobile apps, online and in navigation systems for popular EVs. ChargePoint drivers have completed more than 28 million charging sessions, saving upwards of 27 million gallons of gasoline and driving more than 662 million gas-free miles. For more information, visit www.chargepoint.com or contact the Media Relations team at media@chargepoint.com.
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