Electric vehicle charging point operator Chargemaster is launching an app it claims will make radio frequency identification membership cards redundant.
Called the Polar Instant app, it is free to download, works with both iPhone and Android smartphones, and is claimed to start and stop charging “virtually at the touch of a button”.
The app allows users to pay for recharging using their debit cards and provides additional information such as a ‘live map’ with real-time charging point information, including availability and connector types.
It can also guide users to the closest charging points, including those run by other operators using the open charge point protocol (OCPP).
“There is no need to pay a fee to sign up or register for a card. Smartphone users can just download the app and begin charging straight away,” said Polar Instant’s general manager Alexander Castel.
The system manages elements such as fund collection and remittance payments to charge point operators who are part of the OCPP scheme.