E-Roaming: The invisible hand behind seamless EV charging

By Adriana Fricke, Senior Manager Public Affairs, Hubject

The deployment of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across Europe has made remarkable progress in recent years. Europe reached a major milestone in 2025: 1 million public EV charging points, marking a tenfold increase since 2018. And the momentum is far from slowing. According to LCP Delta, Europe’s charging network is expected to continue its rapid ascent, reaching 2 million charge points by 2029 and 3 million by 2032.

However, there is still progress to be made to ensure a fully seamless and secure EV journey.While the number of charging points has grown, finding a reliable, available charger is still not always simple. EV drivers may still encounter friction points such as waiting times at busy stations, limited visibility of real-time availability, and the need to manage multiple accounts across different charging networks.

In this context, the industry is entering a new phase: one that focuses not only on scale, but on delivering a consistent, reliable and user-friendly experience. Because beneath the surface, the e-mobility ecosystem remains inherently complex. Each charging session often involves a wide network of actors-including charge point operators, mobility service providers, e-roaming platforms, different authentication systems, and separate payment processes. For drivers, this complexity is mostly invisible, but its impact is not. 

This is where e-roaming plays a critical role. It acts as an invisible hand that connects different industry players within the e-mobility ecosystem, enabling EV drivers to access and use charging infrastructure across different charging networks and geographies with a single contract or access method.

What is E-Roaming? 

E-roaming refers to the ability of EV drivers to seamlessly access and use charging stations operated by different charging networks. It works by establishing communication protocols that allow EV drivers to use a single access method, such as an app or RFID card, across various charging networks. This interoperability is essential to achieving efficient, user-friendly, and widely accessible charging infrastructure. E-roaming eliminates the need for multiple memberships or payment accounts and enables drivers to locate, initiate and pay for charging sessions regardless of the network operator.

Think of it as the roaming feature on your mobile phone, but for electric vehicles. When you travel abroad, your phone automatically connects to local networks without requiring a new SIM card or separate contract. In the same way, e-roaming removes complexity for drivers and ensures that charging remains as simple and user-friendly as possible.

How does E-Roaming work? 

E-roaming operates on two primary models: peer-to-peer roaming and e-roaming platforms. These models are key to how the system facilitates seamless interaction across a variety of charging networks.

1. Peer-to-Peer Roaming: Here, individual Charging Point Operators (CPOs) and Mobility Service Providers (MSPs) establish direct agreements with each other. In this model, each CPO and MSP negotiate separate contracts.

2. E-Roaming Platforms: This model centralizes connections through e-roaming platforms such as Hubject. These platforms serve as intermediaries that connect multiple industry participants through a single interface, helping to simplify integration and support scalability. By enabling interoperability between networks, e-roaming platforms can reduce some operational complexity and facilitate broader access to charging infrastructure for both CPOs and MSPs within the e-mobility ecosystem.

Why is E-Roaming important for EV Drivers?

As the adoption of electric vehicles continues to grow, so does the demand for seamless and widely accessible charging infrastructure. E-roaming plays a key role in meeting this need by delivering a range of benefits for drivers:

• Greater convenience and simplicity: Instead of managing multiple accounts across different providers, drivers can use a single app or RFID card to access charging stations across networks. 

• Expanded access to charging infrastructure: E-roaming reduces the geographic limitations, making it easier for drivers to locate and use available chargers in urban areas, rural locations and across countries.

• Reduced range anxiety: With improved visibility and access to charging points, drivers can plan journeys with greater confidence and focus less on whether charging will be available along the way. 

• Improved user experience through data transparency: Real-time information on charger availability, pricing, and location enables drivers to plan stops more efficiently, reduce waiting times and make better-informed charging decisions.

The remaining challenges ahead: standardization and interoperability

While e-roaming offers tremendous potential to enhance the electric vehicle (EV) charging experience, there are key challenges that need to be addressed, particularly around standardization and interoperability. In practice, inconsistent access to charging infrastructure, differences in charging session reliability, and differences in formats of pricing information can increase complexity and costs for operators and potentially slow down EV adoption. To move forward, e-roaming capability must become a baseline feature of all publicly accessible charging infrastructure. Enabling widespread adoption of e-roaming also calls for closer alignment between policymakers, Charge Point Operators (CPOs), and Mobility Service Providers (MSPs), supported by a clear and pragmatic regulatory framework.

Standardization efforts and regulatory support are key to advancing the e-roaming framework and ensuring a seamless experience for all users. To achieve this, the revised Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) should ensure that both ad-hoc payment systems and subscription-based models can function effectively and interoperably. While much of the current focus has been on ensuring interoperability for ad-hoc payments, interoperability must extend equally to subscription models and e-roaming.

The subscription model offers significant benefits for consumers by enabling access to more competitive and personalized tariffs, supporting Plug&Charge functionality, and providing accurate, real-time information on charging station locations and availability. Ensuring that drivers can seamlessly use their Mobility Service Providers (MSPs) subscription across charging points operated by different providers is essential for both the growth of the EU market and a seamless driver experience.

To support these developments, based on Annex II, point 2.3, AFIR should require Charge Point Operators (CPOs) to implement the needed protocols to make all publicly accessible infrastructure roaming capable. Interoperable communication protocols-such as the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) are a critical enabler. They allow the exchange of essential, transaction-relevant information, including pricing per kWh and any additional fees, before a charging session begins. This ensures that drivers can make informed choices with full cost transparency, while avoiding unnecessary data exchange that could limit innovation or add complexity.

In conclusion, the future of e-mobility depends on expanding interoperability to include both ad-hoc payments and subscription-based models, underpinned by common standards and communication protocols. This approach would not only expand access for drivers but also strengthen competition and innovation across the sector. With the right regulatory support and industry collaboration, we can build a seamless, accessible, and user-friendly EV charging ecosystem that supports a sustainable and resilient future for transportation.

• What is e-roaming in EV charging?

  E-roaming is a system that allows electric vehicle (EV) drivers to access and use charging stations across different charging networks with a single account, app, RFID card, or subscription. It enables interoperability between charging providers so drivers do not need separate memberships for every charging network.

• How does e-roaming work for electric vehicles?

  E-roaming works by connecting Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and Mobility Service Providers (MSPs) through direct agreements or specialized e-roaming platforms. These connections enable charging session authentication, pricing information exchange, payment processing, and access to charging stations across multiple networks.

• Why is e-roaming important for EV drivers?

  E-roaming improves convenience by allowing drivers to access charging stations from different operators using a single charging service. It expands access to public charging infrastructure, reduces range anxiety, simplifies cross-border travel, and helps drivers find available charging points more easily.

• Do I need multiple charging apps if e-roaming is available?

  No. One of the main benefits of e-roaming is that drivers can use a single app, RFID card, or charging subscription across multiple charging networks. The exact coverage depends on the roaming agreements supported by the driver's mobility service provider.

• What are e-roaming platforms?

  E-roaming platforms are intermediaries that connect multiple charging networks through a single integration. Instead of establishing individual agreements with every operator, CPOs and MSPs can connect through a roaming platform to enable broader interoperability and easier scaling across markets.

• Can e-roaming be used for cross-border EV travel in Europe?

  Yes. E-roaming is particularly important for cross-border travel because it enables drivers to access charging stations in different countries without signing up for new charging services in each market. This helps create a more seamless European charging experience.