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Card-free EV charging market opens as automakers and operators vie for early lead

A pilot rollout of plug-and-charge at public fast chargers at highway rest stops is set to begin in September, sharpening competition between automakers and charging operators for EV customers. The system enables automatic authentication, charging and payment without membership or credit cards, using digital certificates and encryption keys. As authentication is unified under a government system, membership card models lose ground and companies are expected to compete using vehicle features and charging-station operations.