Autocharge technology lets EV drivers start charging by simply plugging in to an Circuit Electric charging station

Electric vehicle drivers in Quebec are taking advantage of a more seamless charging experience following the launch of The Electric Circuit’s new Autocharge technology.

Autocharge is similar to Plug & Charge in that it facilitates direct communication between a vehicle and a charging station to enable charging. Drivers simply connect the cable from the station to their car, charging begins automatically and billing is handled in the background.

“The difference between Plug & Charge and Autocharge is only in the communication protocol involved between the car and the chargers,” explains Martin Archambault, senior delegate for business development in energy and mobility at Hydro-Québec (the owner of The Electric Circuit charging network), in an interview with Electric Autonomy.

“But at the end of the day, for the end user, it’s the same thing.”

To activate the feature, users complete a one-time setup through the Electric Circuit mobile app, which links the car’s unique identifier with the driver’s account. After that, there is no need to use the app or an RFID card at Autocharge-enabled Electric Circuit’s charging stations.

Electric Circuit launched Autocharge in mid-July, just ahead of Quebec’s summer travel season.

According to Archambault, adoption has been “quite rapid,” with nearly 40 per cent of Circuit Electric’s customers enabling Autocharge on their accounts within the first couple of weeks.

A more open protocol

In designing Autocharge, Electric Circuit chose a communication standard intended to maximize compatibility with as many EV models as possible.

“The Plug & Charge protocol is a strong protocol, but only adopted by a few carmakers,” says Archambault. “So it’s not always the stronger protocol that will win the race. It’s the more popular one.”

Plug & Charge is mainly supported by German automakers such as Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. It uses a complex certificate-based protocol. Autocharge, on the other hand, takes a simpler and more open approach — one that Archambault says is being used by more automakers in North America.

“It’s the one that most OEMs are adopting right now here, so that’s why it’s the one we decided to use,” he explains.

By choosing Autocharge, Electric Circuit estimates that 90-95 per cent of EV drivers in Quebec can use the feature today. The system is available only on DC fast chargers, since it requires direct communication between the charger and the vehicle. Nearly all of Electric Circuit’s fast chargers — about 98 per cent of the network— are already compatible.

Tesla drivers with CCS-enabled vehicles can also use Autocharge, notes Archambault.

Meeting customer needs

The decision to launch Autocharge, Archambault highlights, came directly from customer feedback. Many drivers were looking for a charging experience that felt more intuitive and effortless.

“More and more ordinary people and older people are buying EVs, but they are not necessarily technologically[-savvy] people,” he says. “Those same people with an electric car are having a hard time using the chargers.”

Archambault believes Autocharge removes those hurdles by making the process as simple as possible and, in doing so, helps lower barriers to adoption.

“We think we’re going to help them out with this kind of technology,” says Archambault.

“And we think it’s going to help the mass adoption with people that were a little bit reluctant to buy an electric car.”