Sheeva.AI at CES 2025: The Dawn of a New Era for In-Vehicle Commerce

For a few years now, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has focused on connected car technologies. In their third year at the show, Sheeva.AI unveiled strategic partnerships with EV Connect and AISIN Corporation, dramatically expanding their in-vehicle payments and services capabilities. The EV Connect collaboration enables one-touch charger activation and payments at over 50,000 locations across North America through Sheeva.AI’s SheevaConnect^TM platform.

With the AISIN partnership, the focus was on the integration of the company’s payment technology with AISIN’s Location-Based Services platform (LBS-SDK), allowing drivers to pay for fuel, charging, parking, and tolls directly through their vehicle’s infotainment systems. These announcements demonstrate Sheeva.AI’s growing influence in the vehicle commerce, or v-commerce, ecosystem and their commitment to seamless, location-based services and payments.

The EV charging customer experience today

As electric vehicles gain market share today, a complex and often frustrating charging experience continues to challenge widespread adoption, industry experts report. Recent studies from J.D. Power reveal that public charging remains one of the biggest hurdles for potential EV buyers, with 20% of charging attempts ending in failure.

The fragmented EV charging ecosystem presents users with a labyrinth of technological and financial hurdles. Drivers must navigate multiple charging networks, each requiring separate accounts, apps, and payment methods ranging from RFID cards to mobile wallets. This fragmentation is compounded by inconsistent interfaces, unreliable real-time availability data, and varying pricing structures across networks. The lack of standardized experience forces users to maintain multiple memberships, while language barriers create additional complications for international travelers.

The typical charging session involves a byzantine process of pre-planning, authentication, and monitoring. Drivers must first locate compatible stations, navigate multiple charging network apps, and hope the chosen station is both functional and available. When they get there, they face a gauntlet of authentication steps before charging can begin.

While the “overall experience and performance of EV apps has improved year over year, as manufacturers continue to identify areas of opportunity, including feature contenting, usability and overall connectivity,” said Jason Norton, director of benchmark consulting at J.D. Power. “A continued focus on the specific needs of EV owners is needed to further improve the user experience and trust,” he added.

The J.D. Power U.S. OEM EV app report 2024 interviewed 1,300 U.S. EV drivers who evaluated 44 EV charging and monitoring apps.

Industry leaders are racing to address these issues. The promise of “Plug & Charge” (ISO 15118) where the driver simply pulls up, plugs in, and walks away is the gold standard. But until these improvements materialize, EV drivers continue to navigate what many describe as the “wild west” of charging infrastructure, highlighting the critical need for standardization and simplification in the growing EV ecosystem.

How Sheeva.AI works

CES 2025 marks the second year the team brought their real-world demo module to the exhibition, so attendees could see just how v-commerce works.

Sheeva.AI’s SheevaConnect^TM platform is a pioneering vehicle location-based services platform, revolutionizing in-vehicle payments and connected services through precise, patented geolocation technology.

When a driver in a car equipped with the SheevaConnect^TM platform approaches a service point – whether it’s an EV charger, gas pump, or parking space – the premium customer experience it promises launches through a sophisticated but seamless process.

Using Sheeva.AI’s high-precision positioning system and its SheevaFence^TM proprietary geofencing technology driver can activate and pay for charging and other services with one tap only. Once they arrive at the service point – specific charger, parking space or fuel pump – drivers receive a notification through their vehicle’s infotainment system, showing available services and pricing. Rather than juggling multiple apps or payment cards, they simply confirm the service with one touch, triggering the SheevaPay^TM secure payment process.

The entire transaction is handled via the vehicle’s built-in digital wallet, which maintains PCI compliance while automatically applying relevant loyalty rewards and discounts. The system processes payment, activates the service point, and monitors the transaction in real time. Upon completion, a digital receipt is automatically generated and stored in the user’s account, while the integrated loyalty programs are updated accordingly.

This streamlined process eliminates traditional pain points: no more scanning QR codes, switching between apps, or dealing with multiple payment systems. The technology works across a comprehensive network of services, from EV charging and fueling to parking and toll payments, all managed through a single, unified platform.

EVinfo.net’s Interview with Evgeny Klochikhin, Founder & CEO of Sheeva.AI

EVinfo.net had the great pleasure and honor of speaking with Evgeny Klochikhin, Founder & CEO of Sheeva.AI.

Bill Pierce:

So why did you launch Sheeva.AI? Tell us the story.

Evgeny Klochikhin:

Like with many founders, the idea behind Sheeva.AI came from something I experienced first-hand that needed solving: how to easily pay for parking while taking my pregnant wife to hospital.

The use case here was specifically about parking, but you’ll see how it applies to EVs too: trying to find a parking space, then find an attendant or a meter to pay for it — in a moment when my focus really was elsewhere — led me to wonder “Why can’t I just pay for parking from the car and leave? The car knows its location and the price is already known.”

In 2016, the momentum to build on that experience came from my fundamental observation about the disconnect between our vehicles’ increasing intelligence and the surprisingly primitive way we still interact with services around them. Even back then, I noticed that despite all the sophisticated features in modern vehicles, we were still fumbling with phones and credit cards for basic transactions. It seemed absurd that our smart vehicles couldn’t automatically handle these interactions themselves.

While we do other use cases beyond charging – fueling, parking, tolling, curbside retail and so on – it is EV charging that crystallized all of the issues I saw back in that hospital parking lot and all the opportunities to pursue building Sheeva.AI – having to juggle multiple apps, dealing with authentication issues, and wrestling with payment systems.

And these issues are present in the world’s most advanced vehicle platforms, which many OEMs have redesigned from the wheels up in EVs to be fully digital. The process of charging them still often feels like it is stuck in the past. That’s when I realized we needed to fundamentally rethink how vehicles interact with services around them.

Bill Pierce:

The SheevaConnectTM platform aims to make in-vehicle transactions easier and faster. What pains do you see for EV drivers today?

Evgeny Klochikhin:

Looking at the EV charging landscape today, it’s frankly discouraging. Our research shows that EV drivers typically manage 4-5 different charging apps, each with their own payment systems and authentication methods. At any given charging session, drivers can spend up to 10 minutes just to get the charging started before any actual charging even begins. We’re seeing frustration with unreliable data, inconsistent pricing structures, and the constant need to switch between apps depending on which network they’re using.

The EV driver community is, of course, well aware of the reliability and charger uptime issue. You can’t have hardware in the field that only works 80% of the time. That’s subpar levels of uptime and unacceptable for someone who owns and operates a cutting-edge vehicle like most EVs.

Bill Pierce:

How does Sheeva.AI solve these?

Evgeny Klochikhin:

Our approach is fundamentally different because we’re addressing the problem at its root – the vehicle itself should be the “digital wallet on wheels” and handle all these interactions automatically. While car makers are integrating the “Plug & Charge” into the future vehicles, it is important to find a solution today for all EV owners. Through our precise geolocation technology – accurate to within 2 meters – we can identify exactly which charging station a vehicle is approaching. This context is important, since if you’re pulling up to a charger plug, it’s probably easy to guess what you’re looking to do. Our technology knows not just that you’re at “parking lot with a charger,” but exactly which plug you’re likely going to use.

The real magic happens when you combine this with our payment platform powered by our partnership with Visa Acceptance Solutions. The moment you pull up to a charger, your vehicle automatically authenticates, processes payment, and initiates charging – all with a single confirmation from the driver, with one touch of the car infotainment screen. No other apps to open, no cards to swipe, no QR codes to scan.

Bill Pierce:

You had announced an agreement with EV Connect last fall, but why was the EV Connect announcement at CES so important?

Evgeny Klochikhin:

The EV Connect announcement at CES 2025 represents a significant milestone because it demonstrates the first commercial implementation of our technology for EV charging at scale. What makes this particularly exciting is that EV Connect operates across multiple charging networks, based on their innovative Charging Management API, which means our solution will work seamlessly across thousands of charging stations nationwide. That means many of the most popular chargepoint operators (CPOs) are now open to cars with SheevaConnect^TM enabled.

This isn’t just a proof of concept anymore – it’s a real-world deployment that will impact how people charge their EVs every day.

Bill Pierce:

You also had an announcement on a new partnership with AISIN Corp. at CES 2025. How would that impact the EV charging customer experience you’re looking to create?

Evgeny Klochikhin:

The AISIN partnership is transformative because it combines our location-based payment technology with one of the world’s largest Tier 1 automotive suppliers. AISIN’s global presence and deep integration with major automakers means we can potentially reach millions of vehicles. Their expertise in vehicle systems integration will help us deliver our solution as a native feature in new vehicles, rather than an aftermarket add-on.

While we’re currently in production with Stellantis in India, our goal is to have our technology implemented and available in a million vehicles by the end of 2025 in the US.

Bill Pierce:

When will your product suite be available in EVs in the US?

Evgeny Klochikhin:

We’re looking at a phased rollout this year. On the services side, our initial deployment will be through our partnership with EV Connect, followed by integration with several major OEMs later in 2025. We’re already in advanced development with several automakers.

Beyond our million-vehicle goal for this year, by 2026 we expect to see our technology as a standard feature in multiple vehicle brands and across several regions, including Asia, Europe and North America.

Bill Pierce:

What about other EV markets? Do drivers have the same pains there?

Evgeny Klochikhin:

The fascinating thing about EV charging pain points is how universal they are, but with unique local variations. In Japan, for example, we did our first activation of an EV charging session there last fall with our partners Hagiwara Electronics Co. Ltd. and Japanese CPO PLUGO Inc.

Over there we’re seeing incredible precision in charging infrastructure deployment, but consumers still struggle with payment fragmentation. In India, the challenges are more about rapid infrastructure growth and ensuring reliability in diverse environmental conditions. Our presence in these markets has helped us develop a solution that’s globally applicable while being locally adaptable.

With CES 2025 in the rearview mirror, focusing on the road ahead

As part of the EV revolution, the customer experience around charging Sheeva.AI’s presence at CES 2025 solidified its place as a pioneer in the autonomous driving space. As the company continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-powered mobility, the future of transportation is looking smarter, safer, and more sustainable than ever before.

Stay tuned as Sheeva.AI continues to lead the charge in autonomous vehicle technology, revolutionizing the way we think about driving and paving the way for a more efficient and connected world. Contact the company at [email protected] for more information.