Renault’s Plug Inn app opens up sharing of private charging points

Renault developed the Plug Inn app to bring electric car users from any brand together in the hope of a better and easier charging solution. The app allows users to open up their smart private charge point at home to other users and monetize it.

This community-based app is available in France. In Belgium, there’s currently no legal framework, but charge point owners already make theirs available.

Contrary to other brands’ apps, which locate public charge points and sometimes allow to pay for the charge, the Plug Inn app aims at bringing EV drivers together and sharing charging stations.

Opening private charge points

Through Plug Inn, any electric or plug-in hybrid driver with a charge point at home can open it up for others to use it. The only condition is a smart wall box, which can be activated with a card or a badge. The app allows owners to monetize and monitor their charge points.

For users, Plug Inn makes things easy with no subscription, secure charging and payment, the possibility to reserve and schedule charges, and geolocate any charge point in advance.

In Belgium too?

At the moment, Renault’s Plug Inn app is made for France. However, that doesn’t mean this solution doesn’t exist outside of the country. In Belgium, several owners already make their smart wall box open for other users. It’s especially true for professionals who took advantage of the high deductibility.

While it’s technically possible, there still isn’t any legal framework. Interrogated by the La Capitale newspaper, Chairman of the Walloon Energy Commission, Stéphane Renier, says that Walloon law doesn’t prohibit such a resale of electricity. In the same article, Romain Denayer, EV Belgium coordinator, calls for prudence.

“Without a legal framework, who will be liable for misuse? Who will pay if the user damages the charge point or if it damages the car? And all this without complying with the technical standards required of professionals who install public charging stations,” adds Mr. Denayer.