THE PROBLEM
Ride-share drivers are losing hours and euros every day to charging.
average time lost per shift to finding, queuing for, and paying at chargers
typical out-of-pocket charging cost a driver eats before earning a euro
the average driver juggles to charge: Chargemap, Tesla, the rental company's app
HOW IT WORKS
The car is its own business unit.
Every Plug car holds its own funds, accepts payments from drivers, and pays charging stations directly. Drivers swipe to unlock from their phone. Charging happens automatically — the car returns to a Plug depot, plugs in, and settles its own energy bill. No driver-side charging app. No reimbursement forms. Nothing to expense.
Pays once a week. Drives all day. That's it.
Holds its own treasury. Tracks its own P&L.
Settles automatically with our charging partners.
WHY NOW
Three things just became true at the same time.
EV ride-share is mandated, not optional.
Paris bans ICE ride-share vehicles starting 2025; London, Amsterdam, Berlin are on the same trajectory. Drivers need EVs and most can't finance them.
01 / 03Connected-car APIs finally work.
Lock, unlock, charge state, and remote control are now reliable across major OEMs. Building a software-first fleet didn't used to be possible.
02 / 03Machine-to-machine payments are real.
A car can now hold funds, pay for its energy, and settle accounts with partners — without a human in the loop. This is the foundation Plug is built on.
03 / 03
WHERE WE ARE
Building, with cars on the road.
Founding team formed
Prototype: first car connected, remote unlock working
Pilot: 5 cars, 10 ride-share drivers, Paris
Closed beta: 25 cars, autonomous charging settlement live
Public launch
THE TEAM