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April 2, 2025 – Osprey, a major UK-based EV charging network operator, has launched a new app called Osprey Go that promises to eliminate one of the most persistent frustrations for electric vehicle drivers: the need to fumble with payment cards, multiple apps, or RFID tags every time they plug in. The software, built on Osprey’s proprietary Iris platform, combines automatic vehicle authentication with dynamic pricing, allowing compatible EVs to begin charging immediately after plugging in — no extra steps required.
But while the technology is a clear step forward for convenience, it also underscores a stubborn reality: the EV charging ecosystem remains fragmented, and a single-network solution can’t yet cover every road trip scenario.
The Osprey Go app builds on the existing Autocharge standard, which uses a vehicle’s unique identifier (typically the VIN or MAC address) to recognize it at the charger. After a one-time setup in the app — where users enter billing details and complete two charging sessions to register their car — the system automatically identifies the vehicle on subsequent visits, initiates the session, and applies the best available pricing based on the time of day and location.
"Osprey Go is a significant improvement to the EV customer experience," said Olly Cooper, CTO of Osprey, in a statement. "We took Autocharge and we made it Osprey: building a simple set-up flow, testing it thoroughly, and offering the functionality to the widest range of drivers."
Drivers plugging in during off-peak hours at Osprey’s ultra-rapid stations can benefit from lower rates, since the Iris platform adjusts pricing dynamically. The company says this is part of its broader effort to make charging more predictable and affordable.
Despite its polish, Osprey Go is not a universal solution. The automatic authentication and pricing only work on Osprey’s own network, which, while expanding rapidly, remains just one of dozens of Charge Point Operators (CPOs) across the UK and Europe. Drivers who regularly use other networks — such as Ionity, Gridserve, or Shell Recharge — will still need to carry separate cards, apps, or use tap-to-pay credit cards that sometimes require temporary pre-authorization funds that can take days to clear.
Osprey acknowledges this limitation and has stated that full ISO 15118-based Plug & Charge capability is planned as a "future addition to the platform." Plug & Charge stores payment credentials inside the vehicle itself, enabling cross-network automatic authentication if the car and charger both support the standard. Currently, only a handful of newer EVs — like the Porsche Taycan and Ford Mustang Mach-E — offer native Plug & Charge, but the list is growing.
Osprey’s approach is similar to Tesla’s "Plug & Charge" on its Supercharger network, which has been a hallmark of the Tesla ownership experience for years. However, Tesla’s system is also proprietary to its own network. Electrify America, the largest DC fast-charging network in the US, offers a "Plug & Charge" feature for select vehicles (like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6) using the same ISO 15118 standard, but it requires activation and is not yet universal.
Osprey’s differentiator, according to the company, is its compatibility with a wider range of EVs — not just those with the latest ISO 15118 hardware. By using Autocharge, the system can work with any car that has a consistent VIN broadcast, which covers virtually all EVs on the road today. That makes it more accessible in the short term, though it ties the driver to Osprey’s network.
To add depth, we spoke with Samir Patel, a senior analyst at Rho Motion, a firm specializing in EV infrastructure research. "Osprey Go is a smart interim step," Patel commented. "It solves the immediate pain point of app fatigue for regular users of that network. But the industry's long-term goal has to be interoperability — you should be able to plug in anywhere and have the car handle payment, the same way you can fill up at any gas station with a credit card."
Patel noted that the UK’s charging network has grown by over 40% in the past year, but the number of CPOs has also increased, leading to a bewildering array of payment methods. "The UK government's mandate for contactless payment on all new rapid chargers over 50 kW is helping, but it doesn't force CPOs to integrate with each other's backend systems. That's the next frontier."
For EV owners who primarily charge at home and use Osprey’s network for top-ups on the go, Osprey Go is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade. The ability to simply walk away after plugging in — without worrying about whether the app has loaded or the credit card reader is working — is exactly the kind of frictionless experience the industry needs.
However, for those who travel across different regions or use multiple networks, the app still represents just another tile on the smartphone home screen. Until Plug & Charge becomes universal or CPOs agree on a shared authentication standard, drivers will occasionally need to resort to "fumbling with credit cards or frantically downloading an obscure app" — as the original article noted — when venturing off the beaten path.
Osprey’s move is a step in the right direction, but it’s a step on a single network, not a leap for the entire industry.
