Featured Europe passes two big laws to make EV charging a whole lot better

Quoted from article:

Now that's some real progress!

 

In the US when it comes to parking meters where you have to download an app... I'll always just find another place to park because that's way less hassle than installing a sketchy app that my electronically illiterate city council claims is reputable and safe.

 

I really don’t like that aspect.
It adds cost and complexity to each and every charging unit.

That said, I have difficulty seeing all charging companies using the same app.
If they don’t, the simpler method will be the contactless credit card payments, even though it will add to costs and downtime.

 

^ This.

 

I must respectfully disagree. It creates a nice common denominator. The charger owners can then add all the complexity they want over top for the benefit of subscribers, members, and apps.

I'm offering to dip my bank card into a random machine on the street. Nice short efficient system: my bank to their bank. We don't have to involve any other parties, no bonus privacy problems, no penalty for not having a smartphone or forgetting your member id or whatever. They get the money, I get the kilowatts.

From my point of view, restricting public charging to clubs and apps is an impediment to mobility electrification.

I don't need any of that jazz to buy gasoline, why volunteer to take on that burden?

 

"What are you talking about?" says the Tesla driver.

Bob Wilson

 

I would agree, if that were the case.
Paying via app actually sends your money through fewer hands, and is more secure.

An unattended card reader is a prime target for card skimmers.
Once you use your card, it goes to the merchant’s system, then the credit card processor, which queries your bank, then sends the results to the merchant, back to the processor and then transfers money from your bank to the merchants.

A merchants app, gives fewer eyes on you money, fewer steps, less opportunity for security breaches.

 

I realize that there are several operators involved in a bank card transaction- my point is that I've gained considerable comfort with that. The few times I've had a problem, it's a quick call to my bank and they are on it. Theoretically I won't have the time or luxury to make certain a given app developer will be that available when I'm trying to choose between chargers- if I'm even given a competitive choice at a given road stop. I don't want to have to vet them when I need the juice. I already trust my banks.

I have recently used a system that I felt might make a good compromise. It was an unattended commercial parking lot. I scanned a qr code to go to a website where I entered my card details along with the license plate number of the car, and it showed me a receipt that I could store as a PDF without sharing my email. And that was that.

This satisfied my requirement for no app, no account, no on-boarding process while providing receipts for expense tracking. It would have been better if I didn't need a smartphone to scan the code, but I can let that one slide.

 

Whose eyes are on this app the merchant wants me to load on my GPS/camera/microphone-equipped computer that goes everywhere with me?

 

This is a great question. The app would either use a credit card processor, just as a card reader, or a debit account you had set up with the merchant. Basically, the app removes the card reader from the equation, which is the weakest link.

As for the security of the app itself, that needs caution just as choosing the merchant (retail, waitstaff, etc) does.
I personally use more research into apps than I do into waitstaff. As such, I feel far more secure.

In the event of issues, I have the same option to call my credit card company, just as I would a restaurant or other retailer.

 

The charger already has all the hardware to call home for when someone plugs in or activates it with an app. All it needs for a card in a contactless RFID reader.

 

Does your research into apps ever lead to you saying "ahh, nope." to one?

... and what if that's the one this charger insists you use to pay for your watthours?

 

That's another way of saying that the app becomes the new weakest link.

Personally I don't love app payment systems. They don't appear to be as well covered by the consumer protections that surround many other transaction types. Plus they are incredibly leaky from a personal information standpoint.

Arguably these were the points leading to their creation: somebody wanted a less-regulated transaction stream, and somebody else wanted to create a whole new income stream out of personal info. That's great and all, but I don't want to fight through any of that friction when I'm trying to buy electricity.

 

Change is hard for most people, and going EV is a change in habits for those use to an ICE. Why also require another change in how they pay for fuel on the road on top of that?

 

Yes, and if that were the only choice I wouldn’t use it. I would also let the merchant know why I wasn’t buying their product.

No, it doesn’t as the app shouldn’t carry any credit card info. It simply carries a token indicating ‘authorized’ or not.
All the protections are in place for using an app vs handing your credit card to a retail employee.

When I was an internet retailer (17 years ago), most fraudulent uses of cards were due to theft of a physical card, followed by retail personnel jotting down the card number.
Thaat may have changed, but I doubt it. Digital transactions are far more secure than physical ones.

 

This is a great point, and one I somewhat agree with.
The problem is cost. How much are you willing to pay for the ‘convenience’ of using a physical card? Will the additional cost & downtime be worth it?
If the cost is an additional penny/kWh, maybe not a big deal.
But what if the cost is an additional 10 cents per kWh?

 

Okay, that is a reasonable point. But if there's a problem, I'm stuck with whatever dispute resolution system I've been roped into by the app payment system. I never really had the option of choosing an app payment system I liked better. I've made my peace with that where it comes to buying a 99¢ game every other year, but I'm not interested in risking it for anything more important than that.

When I'm paying directly with a bank card, I have the option of getting my banking service from a small local bank where I may get very fast, personal access to the people who are paid to make certain it all works. Fortunately I've almost never had to do that, but I'm very aware of those protections.

Take a look at the parking payment system I referenced in post #9. I think it would satisfy your needs as well as mine. Maybe the roadside chargers could do that and get business from both of us.

 

Physical cards are dying out, thanks to corona even conservative, super scared countries like Germany realized that contactless RFID is a good idea and pretty safe. Other countries did it already for a decade. Apple pay, android pay all works. Apps are the devil and in cases of ev charging these are various, non software companies (probably local power company) that got their app developed as cheap as possible somewhere in india. And suddenly all your payment info was leaked as they dont understand cybersecurity or just cant afford any specialist.

Do you by any chance even live in Europe?

 

In the USA our banking industry has desperately resisted the costs of modernization, preferring to wage a shadow battle vs. fraudsters. We're only a few years into the widespread acceptance of chip+PIN here.

Contactless cards are available and gaining but we are waay behind Europe on this stuff.