Perhaps the biggest advantage of Teslaβs supercharger network is its ease of use. Public charging using other networks often involves multiple apps and stages to charge an EV. At one time in China, it was necessary to have in the region of five to ten apps on your phone, along with sometimes physical cards, to be able to find public chargers, access them, and pay for them. The situation may be becoming better, but it still does not offer the Tesla-like simplicity. Geely-owned Zeekr brand is changing that and has now introduced phoneless EV Charging.
Under the new regime, the whole process can be done through the in-vehicle system for Zeekrβs self-built charging network. To use it while driving, the driver goes to the charger location map screen and chooses the Zeekr charger they want. The car will then navigate to that charging station, and during the journey, the vehicleβs battery system will automatically adjust to the optimal charging temperature. The advantage of this is that the car will charge at a speed closer to normal despite varying ambient temperatures.
If the charging station is underground, the navigation will provide accurate guidance in the car park to help you find the actual charging station. Previously, the driver would have to scan a QR code to make an appointment, but now it is possible to lower the parking space barrier using voice control automatically.
Once parked, the car will automatically start charging after the charging cable is plugged into the carβs charging port. The driver doesnβt need to take any additional actions.
When the charging has finished the system will automatically take payment, without any need for payment to be made by phone. Zeekr also provides a parking fee discount if the charging time meets certain conditions.
Source: Fast Technology