Plug & Charge
Plug & Charge is a certificate-based method that lets a compatible electric vehicle identify a charging contract through its connection to compatible charging equipment. If the certificate chain and contract are accepted, the charging system can authenticate and authorize the session without a separate app, RFID card, or bank-card action. CharIN — Plug & Charge
Requirements and boundaries
The method is associated with ISO 15118, especially the certificate and communication functions defined for vehicle-to-charger communication. It requires more than support in the car: the EVSE, charging-network backend, certificate trust infrastructure, mobility provider, and the driver's eligible contract must all be integrated.
Plug & Charge is not a generic name for every automatic charging service. A network may recognize a vehicle through a proprietary identifier or account and start charging automatically without using the ISO 15118 contract-certificate model. The driver experience can look similar, but security, privacy, roaming, and interoperability can differ.
Support should therefore be checked for the exact vehicle, charging network, market, and contract. A statement that a charger supports ISO 15118 does not by itself prove that Plug & Charge is enabled. The wider chain from vehicle communication to authorization, roaming, payment, and settlement is explained in EV Charging Protocols and Services.