Forget apps or NFC key fobs: Revel's charging points visually identify your vehicle

It’s nothing new for anyone who already owns an electric vehicle that the charging process can sometimes turn out to be a frustrating experience, depending on the charging network chosen. Having to use multiple mobile apps to identify yourself on each one, NFC keys that then fail, or charging points that don’t work and force you to drive to another one to try your luck again, are unfortunately common situations for some electric vehicle drivers.

Revel, an American company based in Brooklyn, believes it has the solution to all these problems. Teaming up with Juice, a computer vision startup from California, both companies have developed what they call “Face ID for vehicles“.

According to Revel in its press release, Juice uses AI and computer vision to identify each user’s vehicle, start charging sessions and complete payments without the need to interact with physical payment devices or apps. In short, it is something similar to the Plug&Charge technology already implemented by many charging points, but in this case it is not the vehicle that is identified through the exchange of data when the cable is connected, but rather the charging point itself that visually recognises and identifies the vehicle; with the advantages this entails, since compatibility with Plug&Charge, which is often limited, is not required.

“This partnership demonstrates how charging electric vehicles can be as seamless as unlocking your phone with your face. Only truly simple experiences will help the world move towards large-scale sustainable transport”.

It’s that easy

To sign up to Revel’s charging network, electric vehicle owners must take photos of their vehicle and add a payment method. Juice’s technology is already active at Revel’s current charging stations, which are currently spread across just three locations in New York with a total of 54 charging points, but the company plans to gradually expand across the country over the coming months.

Revel hopes in this way to offer all electric vehicle owners a charging experience similar to that offered by Tesla with its network of Superchargers, until recently limited exclusively to its own vehicles. Tesla owners only have to plug in the cable and can forget everything until charging has finished. It is the vehicle that is identified on the Tesla network and the system itself that takes care of applying the corresponding charge to make the payment. The Tesla owner only has to connect the cable.

This hassle-free experience has been difficult to achieve for other providers’ charging networks, due to the need to communicate with many different types of vehicles. The Plug&Charge technology is presented as a possible solution; however, the alternative offered by Revel at its charging points together with Juice has the advantage of being independent of the electric vehicle’s brand and working with all of them, since it does not require manufacturers to integrate Plug&Charge technology.