ChargePoint Just Took a Big Step Towards a Universal EV Charger

One of the keys essential to widespread usage of electric vehicles has to do with the infrastructure. It’s not just the need for more charging stations — though that’s certainly an issue as well. Instead, it has to do with precisely how EV drivers plug their vehicles in when they are charging. Different automakers have used different types of plugs, which puts electric vehicles at a slight disadvantage; after all, if you’re filling your car with unleaded fuel, there’s unlikely to be any question about whether the gas pump will fit into your car’s gas tank.

ChargePoint, which operates close to 38,500 charging stations across the country, according to U.S. News & World Report, recently announced a big change that should make life easier for plenty of EV owners. The new plug design is called Omni Port, and it’s set out to be a universal solution to EV charging — one what will let drivers charge their vehicles, regardless of what plug type theirs is designed for.

“With Omni Port, ChargePoint solved the challenges associated with a multiple connector environment, ensuring Tesla and non-Tesla drivers can continue to expect a world-class driver experience,” the company’s CEO, Rick Wilmer, said in a statement. “We are giving drivers and site hosts assurance that ChargePoint will continue to meet all their charging needs now and in the future.”

The announcement of Omni Port is good news for EV drivers concerned about compatibility, but there will still be some time between now and when Omni Port actually debuts at ChargePoint stations. In announcing the design, ChargePoint shared that it expected to start shipping the plugs by the end of this year.

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The search for uniform compatibility with EV charging stations has become a bigger issue as EVs become a larger part of the automotive landscape. A growing number of automakers have adopted Tesla’s charging standards in order to become compatible with Tesla’s charging network. ChargePoint’s move seems like the inverse of that — and a choice that moves us closer to a point where charging on the road will be as easy as refilling a tank of gas.