Cariqa wants to grant charging station operators direct pricing authority

As reported, Cariqa is working on a new payment system for charging stations: instead of the usual payment concept via e-mobility providers, Cariqa acts as a platform connecting charge point operators (CPOs) and customers directly with each other. This allows CPOs to set prices directly for customers rather than just their own ad hoc prices, as the EMP is no longer involved as a reseller. And customers should benefit from lower charging prices. Cariqa does not see itself as an independent EMP, but as an additional sales channel alongside ad hoc charging and the EMP business, which is left to CPOs to control: “CPOs stay in control of their commercial strategy, and drivers finally get a consistent, fair price wherever and however they charge.”

The company is now announcing two products, Cariqa Go and Cariqa Connect, which are designed to accelerate this development. In the current announcement, the company’s founders refer to the EMP business as “commercially broken.” Issam Tidjani, CEO and co-founder of Cariqa, commented: “Imagine walking into a supermarket and finding that the price of a loaf of bread changes depends on whether you paid cash, card, or by which bank issued your card. That’s how EV charging still works today – it’s unacceptable, and it’s harming EV adoption.”

According to the company, the Cariqa platform introduces a new structural level of commercial interoperability. The emphasis is on ‘commercial’ because, technically speaking, interoperability is generally already a given. According to the Berlin-based company, the platform is designed to ensure that the fares set by CPOs flow unchanged into all channels and that payments are processed in real time. The result is fair, transparent prices for drivers and direct, compliant revenues for operators.

The first product launch, Cariqa Go, is intended to improve the ‘currently cumbersome direct payment experience’ in this context. Operators can use the solution to enable AFIR-compliant ad hoc payments, according to the company. Cariqa Go offers “harmonised pricing across all channels, no hidden markups, and a seamless charging experience whether in-app, in-car, or on site.” On this basis, the second launch (‘Cariqa Connect’) will integrate charging into a digital ecosystem – on the one hand to make charging stations visible on mapping platforms or comparison services, and on the other hand to enable API-based integration of charging processes for OEMs, fleets, rental companies and mobility services.

The product launches follow Cariqa’s €4 million seed funding round last July, led by investors Contrarian Ventures and Anthemis. The fresh capital supports product expansion across Europe, according to Cariqa. This is because “regulators are tightening enforcement of transparent pricing rules under AFIR and PSD2.”

Tamara Ciullo, CCO and co-founder of Cariqa, added: “The reseller era has quietly punished both operators and drivers.” With Cariqa Go and Connect, her company is providing the industry with the tools for sustainable growth – “we’re giving the industry the tools to scale sustainably – aligning incentives across CPOs, OEMs, fleets, and drivers, and laying the commercial foundation for true mass adoption. Today, CPOs often face thinner margins the more they grow – trapped in a cycle of wholesale discounts, delayed settlements, and rising fraud risks. Our platform model fixes this at the root. Real-time settlement, direct payment flows, and a single source of truth for tariffs turn today’s financial risks into tomorrow’s competitive edge.”

At the beginning of the year, Cariqa started by winning over major CPOs in Germany, such as Pfalzwerke and EWE Go, as partners. In July, a cooperation with Mer Germany was also announced: Not only will the Cariqa platform be used as a payment model, but also as an AI-supported function that can be used to dynamically adjust charging prices, for example, to the current utilisation of the charging park.

Source: Info via email, cariqa.com

This article was first published by Cora Werwitzke for electrive’s German edition.