The new app, which is available through Apple iTunes, will locate the nearest WattStation charging station for an EV driver, check its status, provide pricing information and allow payment through PayPal.
Users just scan the quick response code on the WattStation charger with the app, which identifies the station and pricing structure.
“This collaborative agreement with PayPal enables us to offer EV drivers a convenient way to charge their vehicles, which is essential to nurturing the mass adoption of EVs in the future,” says GE Energy’s produce general manager for EV infrastructure, Michael Mahan.
The agreement is the latest in a series of pair-ups between automotive companies and other technology innovators. According to a report from Lux Research, it is part of an emerging trend in the automotive industry. New innovations like electric vehicles, alternative fuels and the use of advanced composite materials are driving carmakers to enter into vast networks of partnerships to keep ahead.
The report, "Under the Hood: Mapping Automotive Innovations to Megatrends", highlights General Motors as one of the leaders in the “partnership race” along with Toyota.
Toyota, along with Volkswagen and Daimler, tend to work with an international panoply of partners, while GM, along with Ford and BMW, prefer to keep their networks closer to home, although BMW recently expanded its collaboration on electric vehicle technologies with Toyota.
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