INTRODUCTION

Research predicts more than 50% contactless point-of-sale transactions worldwide by 2025. In the UK, Spain, Germany, France, and many European countries, contactless payment is already the preferred payment method, which already reflects in the EV charging market in form of regulations and user demand.

Following Germany, where all public chargers need to provide contactless payment options since 2021, European Commission published an AFIR proposal with similar demands, raising debate about whether EV charging should offer an experience not dissimilar to today’s refuelling with an ICE.

Contactless payment allows EV drivers to pay for charging sessions without the need to be registered in an app or have an RFID card of the local service provider. This underlines the aim for a simple user experience in the sector where different technologies converge to serve users of different backgrounds and digitalisation levels emphasizing:

• Simplicity by the familiar process – paying for charging is just like paying for groceries or fuel,
• Fast like as swipe & go,
• No fuss when not in your domestic network – no need for a collection of apps or searching for a local service provider when in transit.

MOON POWER’S CONTACTLESS PAYMENT CLUSTER

About the location

• Public and semi-public garage ​
• Ljubljana city centre ​
• Porsche Slovenija role: CPO & EMP

Porsche Slovenija’s customer, Šubičeva parking garage, wanted to implement a contactless payment charging solution with enough charging stations to ensure that anyone arriving in an electric vehicle could charge there. The client also wanted to make the charging process seamless for those EV drivers who don’t have the appropriate app or RFID card. The visibility of the EV charging option was also very important to them, so they branded all parking spaces reserved for EVs to promote electric mobility.

Key challenges:

• Installation/drilling in the ground is not possible
• Connecting Etrel INCH chargers with Etrel INCH Duo with payment terminal via Etrel OCEAN charge point management system
• Implementation of contactless payment – Etrel INCH Duo with the contactless payment terminal
• Positioning of the Etrel INCH chargers for easy access and close enough to Etrel INCH Duo with a payment terminal

The solution:

Porsche Slovenija installed 16 Etrel INCH charging stations for EV charging and one Etrel INCH Duo for the purpose of contactless payment only. Since the parking garage was renovated before the charging stations were installed, mounting with digging or drilling into the ground was not allowed. In addition, mounting on the wall was not possible due to the round shape of the pillars. Instead, Porsche Slovenija found a unique solution with customised stands to attach the chargers to the pillar and run the power connection through the ceiling.

Etrel INCH Duo, equipped with a payment terminal, is installed in a visible place, next to the existing parking machine in the garage. The cluster of Etrel INCH chargers is connected through Etrel OCEAN EV charge point and energy management system, and Etrel INCH Duo serves as a contactless payment solution for chargers without the payment terminal. Contactless payment cluster is as easy to set up as any normal charging cluster, expect that it involves a bank and credit card providers as merchant service for billing and payment.

The user experience:

When testing different scenarios for the placement of the payment terminal, it was of utmost importance to ensure a good experience for the EV driver. Visibility and proximity to the charging station were priorities to ensure that users of the contactless payment solution would have the payment terminal close to their EV and on their way out of the parking garage.

Once the user connects their EV and selects a credit card as their preferred payment method, instructions and a number are displayed on the charger screen. The user is instructed to go to the Etrel INCH Duo charger and enter the number displayed. The user will then be informed of the prices on the Etrel INCH Duo screen and should tap the payment terminal with their credit card to start the charging session. Based on the agreement with the bank, a certain amount will be charged for the pre-authorization of the payment and returned to the user if they would charge less.

The process runs smoothly and is mainly used by drivers who do not have the MOON Power or partner network’s application or the RFID card. Good instructions and awareness of the possibility of contactless payment are very important, as EV drivers are not yet familiar with it. It is also good to have a customer service phone number available at the charger so that users can contact customer service if they do not understand the process.

Interested in equipping your charging cluster with a contactless payment terminal? Contact our sales.

ABOUT MOON POWER

MOON Power is the e-mobility brand of Porsche Slovenija, offering a charging network and e-mobility service that provides easy access to AC and DC charging stations throughout Slovenia and abroad. They are constantly on the move and adding new roaming partners and thus charging stations available for MOON users.