You arrive at a charger, plug in your car, and it just starts charging. No app to open, no RFID card to tap, no payment screen to navigate. That’s Plug and Charge, and when it works, it feels like the future. The question is: how often does it actually work?
What Is Plug and Charge?
\p>Plug and Charge (sometimes called Autocharge) is a system where your car and the charger recognise each other automatically. Think of it like contactless payment for your car. When you plug in, your vehicle sends its credentials to the charger through the charging cable itself, the network checks you’re registered, and charging begins. No phone required.
It’s built on an international standard called ISO 15118, which means it should work across different brands and networks. That’s the theory, anyway.
Which UK Charging Networks Support It?
This is where things get complicated. Many networks have announced Plug and Charge support, but actual rollout has been patchy.
Networks with working Plug and Charge:
Ionity was the early adopter and remains the most reliable. If you’ve got a compatible car, it genuinely just works at their high-power motorway sites. Tesla’s Supercharger network opened to non-Tesla vehicles also supports it, though you’ll need to set it up through the Tesla app first for non-Tesla EVs.
bp pulse announced support in 2023 and it’s now active on many of their newer 150kW and 300kW chargers. In my testing, it’s been reliable once set up, though not every bp pulse charger supports it yet.
Gridserve has started rolling it out across their Electric Forecourts and some Electric Highway sites. It’s working, but coverage isn’t complete across their network at the time of writing.
Networks that don’t support it yet:
Pod Point, InstaVolt, Osprey, and most destination chargers still require an app or RFID card. InstaVolt has been notably quiet about Plug and Charge despite being one of the UK’s largest rapid networks.
Which Cars Actually Support Plug and Charge?
Here’s where your optimism needs tempering. Even if a network supports Plug and Charge, your car needs to as well. And many don’t.
Cars with confirmed UK support:
Most newer Volkswagen Group vehicles including the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.Buzz, plus Audi’s e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron, and Q8 e-tron. The Porsche Taycan supports it. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning have the capability. Mercedes EQS and EQE models support it. The BMW iX and i4 work with it, as does the Polestar 3.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, along with the Kia EV6 and EV9, have the hardware but UK activation has been inconsistent. Some owners report it working, others don’t. Genesis GV60 is similar.
Notable absences:
Tesla vehicles use their own system for Superchargers but don’t support standard Plug and Charge at other networks. Most Nissan, Renault, MG, and older EVs don’t support it at all. The technology requires both the right hardware and software, and many manufacturers simply haven’t prioritised it.
Setting It Up
This isn’t always automatic. With VW Group cars, you typically need to enable it in the vehicle settings and link your payment details through the car’s infotainment system or the brand’s app. It’s a one-time setup, but it’s not always obvious how to do it.
For networks like bp pulse, you might need to activate Plug and Charge through their app first, even though the whole point is not needing the app later. It’s a bit circular, but that’s where we are.
Real-World Problems
I’ve tested Plug and Charge extensively with an ID.4, and whilst it’s brilliant when it works, it’s not bulletproof. Sometimes the handshake between car and charger just fails, and you’re back to using the app anyway. Network software updates can break functionality that was previously working. And if you’re at a charger that’s meant to support it but doesn’t, you’re stood there for two minutes wondering if it’s loading or broken before giving up and opening the app.
Payment failures happen too. If your linked payment method expires or fails, Plug and Charge won’t tell you until you’ve already plugged in and waited. The charger just won’t start.
Is It Worth Having?
If you’re buying a new EV and the choice is between two otherwise similar models, having Plug and Charge is a nice bonus. It’s genuinely convenient on long motorway trips when it works, especially in horrible weather when you don’t want to be prodding your phone.
But I wouldn’t make it a deciding factor. Apps have become more reliable, and most people already have Zapmap or Octopus Electroverse set up anyway. Plug and Charge needs both your car and the network to support it, and right now, that overlap is smaller than you’d hope.
The technology is sound and will improve as more networks roll it out properly. At the moment though, it’s a convenience feature that works some of the time, not the transformative experience it could be. Keep your charging apps installed.