Australia’s Evie Trials ‘Tap & Go’ Payment Option for Electric Car Charging
Australian EV charging company, Evie Networks, is conducting a trial for a new ‘Tap & Go’ payment option at select charging sites. This feature allows customers to pay for their charging sessions using their credit or debit cards, a convenience that no other major public EV charging provider currently offers.
The trial for the ‘Tap & Go’ payment option is initially being carried out at five sites located in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. The first location to adopt this method is the HomeCo. Belrose shopping centre in Sydney’s northeast. In early 2024, the functionality will be introduced at sites in Allambie Grove (New South Wales), Birkdale Fair (Queensland), Collingwood Library, and Taylors Lake (Victoria). If the trial proves successful, more Evie charging sites are likely to adopt the ‘Tap & Go’ payment option.
However, there is a slight catch. Using the ‘Tap & Go’ payment option will incur an additional cost of approximately 5c per kWh compared to paying through the Evie app. For instance, with a Fast Charger (up to 50kW), customers will pay 55c per kWh using tap and go, while it typically costs 50c per kWh with the Evie app. Similarly, with a Super-Fast Charger (up to 150kW), the tap and go option costs 65c per kWh, whereas the app charging rate is 60c per kWh. Finally, for an Ultra-Fast Charger (up to 350kW), the tap and go function amounts to 70c per kWh, while the app rate is 65c per kWh. Consequently, fully charging a Tesla Model Y RWD with a 60kWh battery pack will cost an additional $3 when using the tap and go payment option, resulting in costs of $33, $39, and $42, respectively.
Bernhard Conoplia, Evie Networks’ head of public charging, explained, We’re giving you the power to choose how you want to pay. Whether you prefer your card, mobile wallet or love the Evie app, this trial helps us understand what works best for you. Your feedback is super important to us as we plan for the future.
One key question yet to be clarified is whether using the tap and go function will eliminate the risk of charging units being inoperable during telecommunications outages. Evie Networks was affected by a recent nationwide Optus outage, which rendered public chargers temporarily unavailable unless owners possessed a physical RFID card. The outage also impacted Chargefox, with approximately 210 of the 2000 public plugs and 3000 private plugs it supports being affected.
Evie Networks currently operates EV chargers at over 175 locations and continues to forge new partnerships to install additional stations. Recent partnerships include collaborations with well-known brands such as Dan Murphy’s, Red Rooster, and Hungry Jack’s.
As Evie Networks seeks to make EV charging more convenient for Australian motorists, the implementation of the ‘Tap & Go’ payment option represents a significant step forward. By offering customers the flexibility to choose their preferred payment method, Evie Networks aims to improve the overall charging experience and gather valuable feedback for future developments in the industry.
