Today, SET portfolio company Easelink, alongside automotive giants Audi, Nissan and Voyah, has announced the establishment of the Matrix Charging Interest Group (MCIG). The group is an industry cooperation to standardise the Matrix Charging technology, an automated conductive charging solution for EVs developed by Easelink.
The Matrix Charging Interest Group aims to unite leading stakeholders from the automotive, supplier and energy industries, dedicated to ensuring cross-brand interoperability of automated conductive charging. The mission is to advance Matrix Charging as the industry standard and accelerate its adoption, enabling a seamless charging experience for all users.
Matrix Charging is the name given to Easelink’s automated conductive charging technology for electric vehicles. In the simplest terms, it allows an EV to charge automatically without plugging in a cable. Automated charging is a central technology for the future of cars. It not only eliminates the need for handling a charging cable but also serves as a crucial interface between the energy and mobility sectors. This technology enhances the integration of electric vehicles into the power grid, promoting the use of renewable energy.
Vehicle manufacturers from across the world are incorporating Matrix Charging into the series development plans for their future vehicle platforms. These vehicle manufacturers urgently need the standardisation of this automated charging interface to ensure interoperability between all vehicles and the automated charging infrastructure.
The MCIG sees itself as a complementary platform to the standardisation work already underway in ISO and IEC committees. Its purpose is to enhance traditional standardisation processes with industry-driven, Matrix Charging-specific coordination. This will allow all relevant interface parameters and specifications to be harmonised at the necessary speed, in parallel with series development.
MCIG’s Fair, Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) licensing policy gives product developers access to essential patents, enabling competition, innovation, product differentiation, and broad market availability.
“Our goal is to establish Matrix Charging as the global standard for automated charging. By making our essential patents available on FRAND terms, we give MCIG members maximum operational flexibility and planning security for both the use and further development of the technology,” explains Hermann Stockinger, Founder and CEO of Easelink.
The MCIG is chaired by Menno Treffers, who brings decades of industry experience in interface standardisation. He previously served as Chairman of the Wireless Power Consortium and Secretary General of the Zhaga Consortium. “MCIG follows the successful model of Special Interest Groups, such as those behind the development of Bluetooth and NFC. Its mission is to standardise the Matrix Charging interface, oversee its cross-industry market introduction, and ensure validation, testing, and certification in line with clearly defined industry specifications,” says Menno Treffers, Chairman of the MCIG.
The founding members of MCIG are Audi, Easelink, Nissan, and Voyah. Companies with strategic interest in the development and market rollout of Matrix Charging are invited to actively participate in shaping the standard.
Press Contact
Menno Treffers
Chairman MCIG
Email: info@matrixcharging.com
Phone: +31 653 429 250
Webpage: www.matrixcharging.com