Short answer: A simplified automatic charging start that identifies your car by its MAC address, without the full security of Plug & Charge.
Explanation
Autocharge is a feature offered by some charging networks that starts a charging session automatically when you plug in, without requiring you to use an app or RFID card. It identifies your car using the MAC address of your car's charging communication controller, which is transmitted when the cable is connected.
The setup is usually straightforward: you register your car's MAC address with the charging network through their app, link a payment method, and from then on, plugging in at their chargers starts a session automatically. Some networks like Fastned offer Autocharge alongside their app-based authentication.
Autocharge is often confused with Plug & Charge, but they are different. Plug & Charge (ISO 15118) uses encrypted digital certificates, making it more secure. Autocharge relies on MAC addresses, which theoretically could be spoofed. In practice, the risk is low, but it is why the industry is moving toward full ISO 15118 Plug & Charge as the long-term solution.
Where you'll see this
- In charging network apps
Common confusion
Autocharge and Plug & Charge look the same from the driver's perspective (plug in, charging starts), but Autocharge is less secure and only works with networks where you have pre-registered your car's MAC address.
Example
Fastned Autocharge: register your car once in the Fastned app, and every future visit starts charging as soon as you plug in.
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