Bosch Introduces a Payment Gateway for Electric Chargers

One of the challenges of electric mobility is the lack of a unified payment method for chargers, forcing users of such vehicles to manage a dozen different applications, each corresponding to a different service station.

Recognizing this need, Bosch has designed a payment gateway to be integrated into the multimedia systems of electric vehicles, allowing charging to be done through the screen and enabling direct payment regardless of the company that owns the plugs.

According to the German company, which is the world's largest producer of automotive components, "the services can be fully integrated, both in functionality and appearance, to match the brand universe of the manufacturer."

By the end of the year, Bosch estimates there will be around 800,000 charging points in Europe, approximately 200,000 in Asia and Oceania, and about 130,000 in the USA. "By integrating more than one million charging points into a single platform, we make it much easier for drivers to find them."

Thus, Bosch asserts that "electromobility will become much more convenient for the general public." According to their estimates, one-third of cars sold worldwide will be electric by 2030, and by 2035 this proportion will increase to half.

However, sales of this type of engine are slowing down in Europe. In Spain, the market share of electrified vehicles – that is, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles – does not reach 11% of sales so far this year. In Europe, they are also losing market share and closed August with a penetration rate of 12.1%.

Therefore, manufacturers have decided to slow down their electrification goals: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Ford are examples of brands that have given themselves more leeway in the transition to zero emissions, arguing that market conditions will set the pace and looking at plug-in hybrid models as a possible alternative.

However, these have caught the attention of the European Commission, which is investigating whether they are truly used sufficiently in electric mode. Selling electrified engines is the only option for manufacturers if they want to meet the emission limits imposed by Brussels for 2025 and avoid facing multimillion-euro fines.

"Over the next decade," Bosch states, "we expect a massive increase in demand for charging services." The Stuttgart-based company estimates that by the end of the decade, its charging solutions business unit will grow at an annual rate of 50%.