Red E Charge Rolls Out Plug & Charge, Ditches the QR Code Routine

EV charging in the United States still often means juggling a phone, scanning a QR code, and hoping the payment terminal cooperates. Detroit-based charging operator Red E Charge is taking a swing at that friction by activating Plug & Charge at a substantial portion of its stations, letting drivers simply connect the cable and let authentication and billing happen automatically. The company has branded the service Red E Go.

The move targets one of the more mundane but persistent complaints among EV owners: the patchwork of apps, cards, and fobs needed to start a session. By supporting Plug & Charge, Red E Charge joins a broader industry push toward letting the vehicle itself handle the handshake with the charger, no extra steps required from the driver.

For now, the feature is live at a good chunk of the operator’s stalls rather than its entire network, so drivers will still occasionally encounter the old routine. Even so, the direction is clear: charging operators are competing on convenience as much as on power output, and removing the app dance is becoming a selling point in its own right.