Skip to content

What Is Plug & Charge? A Simple Guide

Quick Answer

Plug & Charge is a system based on the ISO 15118 standard that allows an electric vehicle to authenticate itself automatically at a compatible charger the moment the cable is connected, with billing handled in the background through encrypted digital certificates linked to the driver's mobility provider account. No app, RFID card, or manual step is required. For drivers, it removes friction and creates a consistent charging experience across networks and countries. For operators, it reduces failed sessions and support costs, enables scalable operations across regions through a single standardised process, and opens revenue opportunities by linking charging sessions directly to customer accounts. Under AFIR, ISO 15118-2 support is mandatory for all new public AC chargers from January 2026, and ISO 15118-20 for all new or renovated public and private AC chargers from January 2027, making adoption a compliance requirement as well as a commercial one.

This article covers each of these points in detail.

Plug & Charge is a system that allows an electric car and a charging station to recognize each other automatically. When a driver connects the cable, the vehicle authenticates itself and the billing happens in the background. No extra steps are needed.

The backbone of this functionality is the ISO 15118 standard. This global protocol defines how cars and chargers exchange data securely. Without it, every carmaker and charge point operator would have to design their own closed solution, leading to fragmentation and frustration. With ISO 15118, everyone speaks the same language.

But most importantly, Plug & Charge will soon become mandatory. Under the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), all newly installed public AC charging points must support EN ISO 15118-2 from 8 January 2026. From 1 January 2027, the requirement expands to include all new or renovated public and private Mode 3 AC charging points, which must support ISO 15118-20.

In this guide, you’ll learn what Plug & Charge is, how it works, why ISO 15118 is becoming mandatory, and the benefits it brings to drivers, operators, and businesses. We’ll also look at how this technology is reshaping EV charging into a smooth customer experience and a stronger business opportunity.

How Does Plug & Charge Work?

The beauty of Plug & Charge is that it feels almost invisible to the driver. Yet behind the scenes, several steps happen in milliseconds.

  • Cable connection: The driver plugs the EV into the charger.

  • Handshake: The EV and charging station initiate a secure digital conversation.

  • Authentication: The car sends encrypted credentials stored in its digital certificate.

  • Verification: The charging backend checks those credentials against the mobility provider’s system.

  • Billing link: Once verified, the charging session connects to the driver’s account for payment.

  • Energy flow: Charging starts, and both the car and the charger keep exchanging data until the session ends.

All in all, this is how Plug & Charge works in practice: the car identifies itself to the charger, authentication and billing happen instantly in the background, and charging begins without apps, cards, or manual steps.

Why Plug & Charge Matters for Drivers

For EV drivers, the main advantage is convenience. The promise is simple: connect and charge. But the impact runs deeper:

  • No app overload: Instead of juggling multiple charging apps for different networks, drivers can plug in and trust the car to handle it.

  • Universal experience: As ISO 15118 adoption grows, the same effortless process will work across networks and countries.

  • Trust in payments: Drivers link billing once and know every charging session is billed accurately and securely.

  • Confidence to switch: For new EV adopters, this simplicity lowers the barrier to entry.

Imagine arriving at a retail car park, plugging in, walking inside, and returning later to a fully charged vehicle without having touched your phone. That is the future Plug & Charge delivers.

Why Plug & Charge Matters for Businesses

For charge point operators (CPOs), mobility providers, and site owners like retailers and parking operators, Plug & Charge goes beyond convenience for drivers, impacting how charging businesses grow revenue, cut costs, and keep customers loyal.

  • Customer loyalty grows: When charging is effortless, drivers are more likely to return to the same network or site. That repeat use builds stronger brand preference and recurring revenue.

  • Support costs drop: Automatic authentication and billing cut down on failed sessions, payment errors, and the customer service calls that come with them.

  • Operations scale smoothly: The same secure process works across regions and networks, eliminating the need for local workarounds as you expand.

  • New revenue streams open: Because billing links directly to the customer’s account, it becomes easy to connect charging with loyalty programs, bundled services, or cross-sells on-site.

Preparing now avoids penalties and delivers clear business benefits: stronger customer loyalty, lower support costs, scalable operations, and new revenue streams. Operators that act early gain a measurable advantage as seamless charging becomes standard.

The Role of ISO 15118 for Plug & Charge

To understand Plug & Charge, you first need to understand ISO 15118.

ISO 15118 is the international standard that sets the rules for how EVs and charging stations talk to each other. Without it, every manufacturer would build its own closed system, and interoperability would collapse.

ISO 15118 covers much more than just Plug & Charge, defining the entire communication layer between car and charger. That is to say:

  • How the vehicle and charging station identify and authenticate each other.

  • How digital certificates are issued, stored, and validated for secure transactions.

  • How billing data moves automatically between the driver’s account, the operator, and the energy supplier.

  • How advanced services such as smart charging and vehicle-to-grid will be enabled in the future.

Security is at the core of the standard. Credentials are encrypted end to end, which makes Plug & Charge as safe as online banking. It also means only certified vehicles and chargers can start a session, closing the door to fraud.

For businesses, ISO 15118 also serves as a roadmap for the future of EV charging. Regulators have set clear deadlines (January 2026 for ISO 15118-2 and January 2027 for ISO 15118-20) so operators that ignore it risk falling behind both legally and commercially. Networks that prepare now will stay compatible with the next generation of vehicles and unlock opportunities in energy services once smart charging and vehicle-to-grid arrive at scale.

Plug & Charge in Energy and Grid Management

Plug & Charge is best known for eliminating the need for apps or cards at the charging point. What is less obvious is that the same ISO 15118 standard also sets the rules for how cars, chargers, and the grid exchange information. That communication creates new possibilities for energy and grid management:

  • Smart charging: Instead of every car pulling maximum power as soon as it plugs in, charging can be adjusted in real time. A utility can lower charging speed when the grid is under pressure and increase it again when demand drops. Operators can also time charging to cheaper tariff windows or moments when renewable energy is available. Drivers still get the energy they need, but the grid runs more efficiently.

  • Dynamic load balancing: At sites with several chargers, total power demand can spike if all vehicles start charging at once. ISO 15118 makes it possible to distribute available electricity across the cars in a coordinated way. For a supermarket or parking operator, this means avoiding grid overloads without paying for costly grid upgrades, while still guaranteeing that every driver leaves with enough charge.

  • Vehicle-to-grid (V2G): The standard also defines how energy can flow in both directions. EVs can act as mobile storage, sending power back to the grid during peak hours. In practice, a fleet of delivery vans parked overnight could supply electricity when demand is high and then recharge later when demand falls. This supports grid stability and opens new business models around energy services.

All in all, Plug & Charge ties directly into energy and grid management. It helps operators balance demand, prevent costly grid upgrades, and prepare for a future where EVs function as flexible energy resources.

Plug & Charge vs. Roaming

A common question is whether Plug & Charge makes roaming irrelevant. The short answer is no, the two systems serve different purposes and work best when combined.

  • Roaming gives drivers access. It allows them to use multiple charging networks through a single contract with their mobility service provider. Without roaming agreements, drivers would need separate accounts for every network they use.

  • Plug & Charge makes the process seamless. Once the driver has a roaming contract in place, the car authenticates automatically at each compatible charger. No apps, no RFID cards, no separate logins.

Together, they provide scale and simplicity. Roaming removes the need for drivers to manage dozens of accounts. Plug & Charge removes the friction at the charging point.

In practice, this means a driver can sign a single roaming contract with their provider, travel across countries, and simply plug in at any compatible charger. The car handles authentication and billing automatically, regardless of which operator runs the station. For operators and mobility providers, this combination is powerful: roaming expands reach, and Plug & Charge guarantees that every session starts reliably and without user error.

Is Your Stack Ready for Plug & Charge?

Not every charging setup can handle Plug & Charge yet. Enabling it requires both hardware and software readiness, along with the right security processes. ISO 15118-capable chargers: The charger itself must support the standard. Many older chargers were built without ISO 15118, which means operators may need to upgrade firmware or replace units to be compatible.

  • Backend with certificate management: Plug & Charge relies on digital certificates that authenticate vehicles. The charging platform must be able to issue, store, and validate these certificates securely and at scale.

  • Integration with mobility providers for billing: A charging session only works smoothly when the authentication links directly to the driver’s contract. That requires back-office systems to integrate with mobility providers so that billing is instant and transparent.

  • Robust security processes: Digital credentials must be managed with the same rigor as payment systems. Businesses need policies for handling, renewing, and revoking certificates to keep charging sessions secure.

Preparing for Plug & Charge requires concrete steps: upgrading chargers to ISO 15118, ensuring backends can manage certificates, integrating billing with mobility providers, and putting proper security controls in place. These changes result in a charging stack that can handle the next wave of EV drivers without service issues. They also guarantee compliance with AFIR deadlines: ISO 15118-2 from January 2026 and ISO 15118-20 from January 2027.

Conclusion

Plug & Charge answers the question every driver asks: why is EV charging still so complicated?

With ISO 15118 as the backbone, it transforms EV charging into a secure, automatic, and universal process. The car authenticates itself, the charger responds, and billing happens invisibly.

For drivers, this means confidence and convenience. For operators, retailers, and mobility providers, it delivers stronger customer experience, lower operational pain, and readiness for future services such as smart charging and vehicle-to-grid.

And with AFIR deadlines in 2026 and 2027 making ISO 15118 support mandatory, adoption is no longer optional. Plug & Charge is becoming the standard that every charging business must meet.

At eMabler, we make that transition straightforward. Our API-first platform integrates with existing systems, guarantees ISO 15118 compliance, and enables operators to launch Plug & Charge quickly at scale.

👉 If you want to get your network ready for Plug & Charge and deliver the best customer experience in EV charging, get in touch with us!