Imagine an EV driver pulling into a highway charging plaza with a critically low battery, only to find five vacant fast chargers they cannot use because they lack the right app, wallet, or RFID card.This friction stands …

Imagine an EV driver pulling into a highway charging plaza with a critically low battery, only to find five vacant fast chargers they cannot use because they lack the right app, wallet, or RFID card.This friction stands in contrast to India’s rapid infrastructure expansion. According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, India had installed 29,151 public EV charging stations as of February.It points to an important shift. The next phase of EV adoption will depend not only on how many chargers India installs, but on how easily drivers can use them. Interoperability can turn scattered charging points into a reliable network that works across brands, operators, and locations.Three pillars of a frictionless gridEV charging needs the kind of simplicity USB Type-C charging brought to personal devices: plug in without having to think about compatibility. But for EVs, that experience requires more than a universal plug. A genuinely interoperable network must work across three layers: physical connection, digital communication, and cross-network access and payment.While hardware standardisation is progressing, the bigger friction has shifted to software and payment access. Many Charge Point Operators (CPOs) continue to operate within closed ecosystems, forcing drivers to manage multiple apps across networks. This reduces convenience for drivers, creates billing complexity for fleets, lowers charger utilisation for operators, and can weaken confidence in EV ownership.The goal, therefore, is not simply a common plug. It is a charging experience in which the vehicle, charger, network, and payment systems can work together with minimal effort from the driver.Learning from global marketsSome global markets are already moving toward this experience. The EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), for example, requires ad hoc payment options at public charging points, reducing dependence on operator-specific apps or subscriptions.The principle is similar to mobile roaming. When people travel, their phones can connect to partner networks without requiring a new SIM card. EV charging should become just as predictable: arrive, connect, pay, and continue the journey regardless of who operates the station.Policy directivesIndia is investing heavily in charging infrastructure. Under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, Rs 2,000 crore has been allocated toward public charging infrastructure, with plans for more than 72,000 chargers. The Ministry of Power has also classified EV charging as an unlicensed activity, helping lower barriers for new operators.But expanding supply is only part of the challenge. Drivers also need to know where chargers are, whether they are available, and whether they can access and pay for them easily.The BHEL-led unified EV ‘Super App’ is one effort to bring charger availability and payment access across networks into a common interface. Standards such as OCPI can help charging networks share data, while Unified Bharat e-Charge, built on the Beckn Protocol, aims to make discovery and transactions across networks easier. OCPP supports charger-to-system communication, while ISO 15118 supports communication between vehicles and charging infrastructure.For drivers, however, the technology underneath should become almost invisible. What matters is whether charging simply works.The critical role of AIAs more vehicles, chargers, operators, and systems connect, keeping the network reliable becomes harder. This is where AI can help.AI does not create interoperability, standards and network agreements do that. But AI can help operators detect faults, predict maintenance needs, anticipate demand, manage electricity loads, and identify patterns behind failed charging sessions.In simple terms, interoperability connects the ecosystem; AI can help keep it running reliably.The road aheadEarly EV adopters may have accepted multiple apps, cards, and charging networks as part of trying new technology. Mass-market users will expect charging to be simple, reliable, and convenient.That is why adding more chargers alone will not be enough. True interoperability is what turns separate charging points into a network people can trust and use with confidence.The standards, technology, and investment are already taking shape. What remains is for regulators and the industry to bring charging networks closer together, so drivers can move seamlessly between them without juggling different apps, accounts, or payment methods.Arun Kumar Ravi Kumar is director – Automotive & Smart Mobility Solutions, Experion Technologies.(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)

Source: Deccan Herald