SWTCH Energy has introduced a new EV charging feature that allows drivers to start a session with a tap of their smartphone, even without a cellular connection. The Toronto-based company announced the launch of SWTCH Tap on April 7.
The feature is part of the company’s SWTCH Cortex platform and uses near-field communication (NFC) to connect a driver’s account to a charger without requiring app navigation or a network connection.
“The biggest hurdle to a great driver experience is often the connectivity burden at the site,” said Carter Li, CEO of SWTCH, in a statement. “With SWTCH Tap, we’ve streamlined the process to a single tap while ensuring the charger works every time, regardless of network status.”
By utilizing local authorization and UID caching, he added that the charger can “make decisions in real time without waiting for a cloud handshake. When a driver pulls up with an empty battery, they should be able to charge, no matter what the network situation is at the time,” he said.
The company said the feature is designed to address connectivity challenges commonly found in underground garages and remote locations, where cellular service can be unreliable.
SWTCH Tap operates across multiple connectivity scenarios. When both the charger and device are online, it enables a faster start. If a driver’s phone has no signal, the system authenticates locally using NFC. In the event of a full site outage, the charger can authorize sessions using stored data, with transactions syncing once connectivity returns.
The system relies on local processing and cached user data to maintain functionality during outages, using a “store and forward” model to reconcile billing once networks are restored.
SWTCH said the feature builds on its broader platform aimed at improving uptime and reliability across EV charging networks.
