Polestar simplifies charging experience

Sino-Swedish EV pure play Polestar has introduced a Plug & Charge service for its new Polestar 3 e-SUV, aimed at “making public charging for its customers even easier than before”.

Plug & Charge will act like a digital wallet, with the car itself authenticating the user and communicating directly with compatible public chargers. Polestar promises this will allow for automatic processing and “remov[e] the typical steps of setting up a charging session”.

In effect, after arriving at a charging station where Plug & Charge is available, customers “can simply plug in their Polestar 3 to the charging station and enjoy a seamless charging process”. The service will be rolled out at over 9,500 high power charging points, including many of those operated by Ionity and Mer.

“With Plug & Charge we offer a premium service to Polestar 3 customers that makes charging their car on the road as easy and hassle-free as possible,” says Polestar CTO Lutz Stiegler. “This advanced technology will make a real difference to customers’ day-to-day life.

“We are excited to bring it to Polestar 3 first, with other models in our range to follow soon after.” Other Polestar models are scheduled to gain the functionality in 2025.

The new service means Polestar 3 drivers no longer need to confirm which individual charger they are connected to, then initiate payment to authenticate the charging session via the Polestar charging app or card. “When Plug & Charge is activated, the car communicates directly with the charger itself and payment is processed directly — removing multiple steps from the traditional process,” the firm says.

The firm launched its charging app in Europe at the end of March, partnering with German charging software firm Plugsurfing. It has also sought to add value to its customers in the charging space by exploring faster charging batteries with Israel’s Storedot and vehicle-to-grid functionality with Norwegian home charger manufacturer Zaptec.

These are all initiatives that the firm hopes will help it scale by selling more cars, something on which it has bet heavily with the launch of the Polestar 3 and 4, a new sales model, and an expanded international footprint.