The EV charging market is set to explode—are you ready? To support the growth of both public and private EV charging infrastructure, OEMs and charging station operators need secure, modern solutions for user identification and access control.
Here’s why the industry is looking to RFID and mobile technologies for convenient, secure authentication.
Growing market for EV charging and charging infrastructure
According to a recent report from has-to-be and BERG Insight, the electric vehicle market is expected to balloon to €1-2 trillion annually by 2030 and €4-8 trillion annually by 2050 in the EU alone—growth rates likely to be matched in the US and globally. To support all those new electric cars and trucks, EV charging infrastructure will have to expand at a commensurate pace.
The EV charging sector includes both public and private infrastructure. Many companies and apartment buildings are now offering dedicated free EV charging stations for tenants, employees or guests. As fleet owners switch to electric—including both commercial and government fleets, such as emergency or postal service—they must also have charging infrastructure to support all those vehicles. Other parts of the market are fee-based, including public charging networks found along highways and in city centers and charging stations set up in retail parking lots as an additional revenue stream.
Whether free or fee-based, charging station managers need a way to track who is using their infrastructure and limit access to authorized users or members. For-profit stations must be able to track electricity usage or time by user and connect users to account information for billing. Private charging stations need a way to ensure that unauthorized users can’t load on their charging systems.
RFID and mobile technologies for secure and convenient authentication at charging stations
A modern authentication solution based on RFID or mobile technologies provides a simple, convenient and secure option for user authentication and access control in EV charging.
- Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses a contactless card—such as an employee or tenant ID or membership card—to authenticate the user. The card has a small chip that sends out a radio signal when it is in range of a RFID reader.
- Mobile authentication leverages technologies built into smartphones and other mobile devices: Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) or Near-field Communication (NFC). The user simply downloads an app to their phone that connects to their account information and communicates with the reader.
In both cases, authentication is simple and convenient for users: they simply wave their card or smartphone over the reader, which is embedded into the charging pillar. RFID and mobile authentication are also secure; communication can be encrypted to make it almost impossible to intercept communication between the device or card and the reader or clone the authentication credentials. This ensures that unauthorized users are locked out of the charging infrastructure and sensitive personal or company data is protected.
RFID and mobile technologies provide:
- Security for infrastructure and data
- Maximum convenience and safety for drivers
- Flexibility for charging station operators
Getting Started with Authentication for EV Charging
What should OEMs and station operators look for when it comes to an authentication solution for EV charging? The solution must be secure. It must be easy to implement, install and update. And it must be powerful and flexible enough to support changing technology, security and functionality requirements for the future.