Having said that, can you pay to charge a tesla with a credit card? Does it actually work reliably? If the other networks are any indicator, that's the hardest technical challenge in this space.
I don't think it's a technical challenge. I just don't think any of the charging networks are content to only sell the electricity - they do everything they can to get users to download an app so they can aggregate and sell user data as another source of income.
From a user point-of-view, of course EV chargers that could work just like a gas pay-at-the-pump system would be preferable, but that hasn't been mandated, so that hasn't happened.
The credit card fees are also relatively high for small transactions (it's usually just about $1.20 for me to top up my PHEV battery at the chargers near my work). So the apps prefer to get you to "load" 10 or 20 bucks into the app at a time, and then debit your app account for each charge.
I've been seeing more and more credit card terminals on CCS chargers which don't require any kind of account. Swipe a card or tap NFC, plug it in, and it charges.
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I don't think it's a technical challenge. I just don't think any of the charging networks are content to only sell the electricity - they do everything they can to get users to download an app so they can aggregate and sell user data as another source of income.
From a user point-of-view, of course EV chargers that could work just like a gas pay-at-the-pump system would be preferable, but that hasn't been mandated, so that hasn't happened.
The credit card fees are also relatively high for small transactions (it's usually just about $1.20 for me to top up my PHEV battery at the chargers near my work). So the apps prefer to get you to "load" 10 or 20 bucks into the app at a time, and then debit your app account for each charge.
I've been seeing more and more credit card terminals on CCS chargers which don't require any kind of account. Swipe a card or tap NFC, plug it in, and it charges.