Worldline, a European provider in the payments and transactional services industry, has announced the release of a new unified payment solution that allows consumers in Europe to pay for electric vehicle (EV) charging quickly, conveniently and safely.
The use of EVs is soaring across Europe, with 455,000 vehicles in the United Kingdom at the end of February, while Germany registered 20,000 electric cars in a single month. EV registrations are overtaking diesel vehicles and there is a 71% jump in electric vehicle purchases projected for 2021. The European EV fleet is projected to grow from 2.3 million in 2020 to 34 million by 2030, with public EV chargers growing from 200,000 today to as many as 3 million by 2030.
The growth of EV charging presents a challenge in terms of payments since charging stations are unattended, leading to a risk of non-payment, and will be used by customers with a range of currencies and payment methods. The market requires an end-to-end offering with omnichannel capabilities that allows for app-based, contactless and PIN pad payment authorisation. These payments will also have to be pre-authorised and allow for payment in multiple currencies.
Worldline’s Easy EV solution, suitable for both big infrastructure or as a one-stop-shop for smaller players, addresses the needs of both EV charging geographies and client business models. Payments can be taken on four different card readers with both touchscreen and press-button operation and includes simplified acquiring coverage over Europe. The solution will be rolled out to infrastructure owners, charging point operations, electric mobility providers and EV charger manufacturers across the continent to help supercharge their businesses.
Given the explosive growth of both EVs and digital payments, the WL Easy EV payment solution is uniquely positioned to impact not just the EV charging market, but to become part of everyday life for millions of people across Europe as EVs become more common.
Radu-Vasile Pop, Global Head of Self-Service Verticals, Parking & EV-Charging at Worldline said: “As the world looks to reduce vehicle emissions, our goal is to address all the payment challenges of EV charging in Europe with a simple, smooth and secure customer experience together with a fast & flexible payment process for operators and consumers alike. Our WL Easy EV payment solution combines the best of unattended and online/in-app payments to truly electrify journeys.”
