Volvo Opens 35,000 Chargers to Automatic Payment; Some EX90s Need Upgrades

For a compatible Volvo, the public charging sequence is becoming simpler: connect the cable, let the vehicle identify itself to the charger and begin the paid session automatically. After an initial payment setup, drivers no longer need to complete a separate credit card transaction or open the charging network’s app each time.

Volvo has begun enabling this Plug & Charge function for the EX90 in the United States, with support covering more than 35,000 compatible fast chargers, including locations on the Tesla Supercharger and Ionna networks. The upcoming EX60 is scheduled to receive the same capability when U.S. deliveries begin later this year, although Volvo has not provided a specific delivery date.

The rollout has an important hardware condition. Model year 2025 EX90 vehicles require Volvo’s Nvidia Orin core computer upgrade before Plug & Charge will work. Volvo says the upgrade is complimentary but requires a scheduled workshop visit rather than a remote software installation. Model year 2026 EX90s receive the upgraded computer at the factory.

What automatic authentication changes

Plug & Charge addresses the transaction layer of an electric vehicle charging stop. Ordinarily, a driver may need to identify the correct network, open its app or use a payment terminal, select the charger and authorize payment before electricity begins flowing. With automatic authentication, the vehicle and compatible charger exchange the information needed to identify the account and initiate billing.

That distinction matters because Plug & Charge does not increase the electrical output of a charger or the rate at which the battery can accept energy. Its benefit is reduced payment and authentication friction. Actual charging performance still depends on the vehicle, battery temperature, state of charge, charger output and other operating conditions.

Volvo drivers can locate compatible stations through the vehicle’s Android Automotive interface or the Volvo Cars app. Built in Google Maps can also recommend charging stops based on the vehicle’s state of charge. Those navigation and account functions form part of the wider system: finding a compatible charger, arriving with an appropriate battery condition and authenticating the session all have to work together for the simplified experience to deliver its intended benefit.

The stated total of more than 35,000 stations is broad, but it should not be read as universal compatibility at every U.S. fast charger. Plug & Charge must be supported by the vehicle, the charging operator and the specific station. Volvo expects additional charging companies to join, but no further network list or timetable has been provided.

Why 2025 EX90s need a workshop visit

The limitation for early EX90s illustrates how software defined vehicle features can remain dependent on physical computing hardware. Volvo’s core-computer upgrade information describes a hardware and software installation using a more powerful dual Nvidia Drive AGX Orin configuration. The associated software is not compatible with the older computer units, so it cannot simply be delivered as an over the air update.

Volvo says the installation takes approximately one day and that owners can continue using their vehicles with the original computer. However, that original configuration cannot receive future updates and features reserved for the dual Orin system. Plug & Charge is therefore one visible consequence of a broader computing platform transition rather than an isolated charging repair.

The workshop requirement also creates a practical divide between model years. A 2026 EX90 can arrive with the necessary hardware already installed, while an owner of a 2025 vehicle must arrange a service visit before gaining the charging function. The upgrade is free, but it still carries a scheduling and time cost for customers who recently purchased the SUV.

Charging speed remains a separate capability

The EX60’s underlying charging specifications are distinct from automatic payment. Built on Volvo’s 800-volt SPA3 platform, the SUV is reported to accept as much as 370 kilowatts at a compatible station and charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 19 minutes. Volvo also reports that the top P12 all wheel drive version can add up to 173 miles of range in 10 minutes when connected to a 400-kilowatt charger.

Those figures describe potential energy transfer performance under compatible conditions; Plug & Charge only streamlines access to a paid session. Volvo’s integration therefore removes one common source of public charging frustration across a large group of stations, but the convenience arrives immediately only for vehicles with the required computing hardware.

By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.