The collaboration will allow drivers to ask Alexa to help them find and navigate to nearby EV charging stations, as well as initiate and pay for charging sessions at EVgo stations. The companies plan to roll out the in-vehicle functionality to Alexa-enabled vehicles as well as automotive accessories like Echo Auto later this year.
Amazon’s Alexa-enabled EV charging system is designed to leverage PlugShare, said to be the world’s leading EV community and a part of the EVgo family, as well as EVgo Inside. Integrated with the Alexa app, the PlugShare API will allow customers to find nearby charging stations, access its comprehensive public EV charging map and ultimately take advantage of a seamless charging experience built from over a decade of serving EV drivers. With EVgo Inside integration, customers can also register a new EVgo account, find EVgo charging stations, initiate a charging session, and complete payment – all from within their Alexa app. In the future, customers will also be able to view real-time charger availability and view session and billing information.
“EVgo and Amazon’s shared principles of being customer-centric and committed to a sustainable future make innovative experiences like voice-initiated charging possible,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO at EVgo. “From Autocharge+ to charging with Alexa, EVgo is committed to continuing to raise the bar for convenience of EV ownership for our customers.”
The collaboration with Amazon comes as EVgo continues to grow its base of partners across industries, demonstrating its ability to advance shared sustainability and electrification goals through a versatile set of charging solutions and technology offerings. Through this partnership, Amazon customers can access over 150,000 US public charging stations listed on PlugShare.
Voice-initiated charging and payment builds on EVgo’s commitment to enhancing the EV driver experience, with the company’s recent launch of Autocharge+ allowing drivers to initiate a charging session in seconds by simply plugging in.
EV drivers will be able to ask Alexa to help them find, navigate to, and pay for public charging spots through a simple voice request such as, “Alexa, find an EV charging station near me”
