Automotive

Will that be cash or car? Jaguar and Shell roll out in-car fuel payment app

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The Jaguar XE supports the Shell mobile pay app
The Jaguar XE supports the Shell mobile pay app
A look at the Shell app in a Jaguar
The app is simple to use, even for the most technologically challenged Jaguar owners
The Jaguar and Shell app saves a receipt of the transaction
The petrol payment app in the new Jaguars is pin-code protected
The app uses geolocation to work out which petrol station you're using
All owners need to do is pick their pump in the Shell app
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Cashless payments have rolled out on phones and smartwatches, but up until now they hadn't made it into cars. That's set to change, thanks to a collaboration between Jaguar and Shell that allows drivers to pay for their fuel using the touchscreen in their car.

Instead of getting your hands dirty at the in-pump card reader or waiting behind hordes of people in the cashier queue, owners with the Shell app installed in their central InControl touchscreen can use the app to pay. It links up with PayPal or Apple Pay, with plans to add Android Pay later this year.

The process is fairly simple – having opened the app on the touchscreen, you enter a five-digit security code and pick a pump. All things being equal, the car uses navigation data to work out which Shell station you're at, making sure you don't end up paying for gas somewhere down the road. Once you've done all that, a receipt is displayed on the dash to confirm your payment has worked. That information can also be automatically forwarded on to your email address, making it easier to track expenses or keep receipts on work trips.

A look at the Shell app in a Jaguar

"Making a payment from a car's touchscreen will make refuelling quicker and easier," says Peter Virk, Director of Connected Car and Future Technology at Jaguar. "With this new system you can choose any pump on the forecourt and pay for the fuel even if you've forgotten your wallet or can't find your credit or debit card. You will save time because there's no more queueing to pay in a shop, and for drivers with children, it won't be necessary to wake them up, or unstrap them from their seats to take them into the shop."

The app is being rolled out as a wider update to the XE, XF and F-Pace ranges. The F-Pace will now be available with a new E-Performance Diesel, which uses just 4.8 l/100 km (59 mpg) on the combined cycle and emits 125 g/km of CO2. It will be joined by a 237 hp (177 kW) diesel and a 248 hp (185 kW) turbocharged petrol four-cylinder. The same engines will also be on offer in the XF, while the XE S has been boosted from 335 hp (250 kW) to 375 hp (280 kW) for 2018.

The app will be able to download from February 15, but it will only be available to buyers in the UK initially. Android Pay and global support are expected to roll out later this year.

Source: Jaguar

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2 comments
sagebrush6
I can see problems with this already. Your car's digital system getting hacked - for example. Seems I hear a lot about all kinds cars computer getting hacked. I don't need my credit/debit card number in yet another place.
Bob Flint
Unless your station offers full service which is rare these days, you still need to get out to remove the cap, put in the nozzle, and squeeze to fill up, & replace both the nozzle, & cap, and close the filler door..
I can already pay at the pump with a card, and be on my way just as fast if not faster, with a printed receipt.
Unless this is linked with an electric vehicle that has a fast induction charging then what's the point of playing with your touch screen, instead of removing your wallet. "In case you've forgotten your wallet" you had better be the passenger, and not driving....