Jaguar Land Rover teams with Plugsurfing to simplify charger access

With the expansion of EV charging options across the world comes fragmentation, as multiple companies compete to install EV chargers under their own networks. That might be daunting for a new EV buyer, but Jaguar hopes to alleviate that issue -- in Europe, at least -- with a new partnership.

Jaguar Land Rover announced this week that it has teamed up with Plugsurfing to provide a "premium charging service" for its EVs in select markets across Europe. Plugsurfing works with multiple competing EV charging networks to provide a single card that can access multiple networks, making the process about as easy as possible. Just swipe your Plugsurfing card at a supported charger, and it'll work as if you were signed up to that specific network.

The Jaguar Public Charging and Land Rover Public Charging apps are free, and they'll allow PHEV and EV owners to find one of 70,000 different charging points on the Plugsurfing network. They'll also receive the Plugsurfing card that enables charging at each station.

While the apps might be free to download, it's not like you'll get away without paying for that electricity. To that end, the partnership with Plugsurfing will allow owners two different payment methods -- a fixed monthly fee or a pay-as-you-go option. The former will likely be a better value for folks who will rely primarily on networked chargers, while the latter will probably appeal to folks who usually charge at home and need an occasional boost while on the road.

Right now, there aren't too many JLR vehicles available to take advantage of this partnership. Jaguar has the all-electric I-Pace SUV, but Land Rover lacks any battery-electric vehicles. Instead, the standard Range Rover and its sibling both offer plug-in hybrid variants, which can still take advantage of EV chargers while out and about.

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