Vulnerabilities in the cybersecurity of public electric vehicle charging stations, excluding those owned by Tesla, remain unaddressed.
In a significant move for the electric vehicle (EV) industry, Hubject, Gireve, and Irdeto have formed the **Gireve-Hubject-Irdeto Plug&Charge Interoperability Partnership**. This collaboration aims to enhance EV charging security and competition, particularly in markets like Australia, by enabling seamless mutual access to each other’s Plug&Charge networks.
**Enhancing EV Charging Security**
The partnership focuses on addressing technical and security challenges collectively, leveraging the ISO 15118 standard, the underlying protocol for Plug&Charge. This standard includes secure communication and automated authentication between EVs and chargers, reducing risks of fraud and unauthorized access. By collaborating, these companies pool expertise to enhance security robustness for drivers, charge point operators (CPOs), and service providers, making the charging process more secure and trustworthy.
**Promoting Competition in Australia**
Though the partnership currently emphasizes Europe and North America, the interoperability model applies globally, including Australia. This openness lowers market entry barriers, increases network accessibility, and promotes healthy competition among charging network operators. For Australian EV drivers, this means access to a broader selection of charging stations without the need for multiple signups or payment methods, improving convenience and supporting EV adoption.
The API-based approach allows rapid integration and scalability without requiring extensive new developments, encouraging more innovation and competitive offerings from local and international players in Australia. Main Australian DC Fast Charging CPOs are ready for this, with several companies using certified back-end systems from various providers.
**Securing the Future of EV Charging**
Hubject, based in Europe, is a platform connecting charge point operators, Mobility Service Providers, and drivers, enabling Plug and Charge across multiple OEMs and CPO networks. Irdeto, a cybersecurity firm, and Gireve, a competitor, have joined forces to enable trust between their certificate chains, giving drivers, CPOs, and Mobility Service Providers the freedom to choose their preferred service provider.
Hubject sees a future where roaming transactions in the EV charging industry get cheaper to process as platforms such as Gireve and Hubject scale and compete. However, it's important to note that vulnerabilities in Australia's EV charging infrastructure are not a concern, as the energy industry has recently taken steps to secure communications with Consumer Energy Resources such as batteries and solar inverters using the CSIP-AUS standard.
Ed Lynch-Bell, Principal at Second Mouse, a company dedicated to building more sustainable energy tech and mobility products, services, and businesses, believes this agreement aims to establish a competitive market for Plug and Charge. Lynch-Bell is also a co-host of the Melbourne and Sydney EV Meet-ups, bringing the e-mobility industry together.
In summary, the agreement enhances security by unifying standards and security efforts across networks and promotes competition by creating an interoperable, vendor-agnostic ecosystem that benefits operators and consumers globally—including Australia—by providing more accessible, secure, and seamless EV charging options.
- In collaboration with Irdeto and Gireve, Hubject, an environmental-science-focused company, aims to strengthen the security of electric vehicle (EV) charging processes, relying on the ISO 15118 standard and secure communication features.
- With this new partnership, the EV industry hopes to bring more competition to markets like Australia, thanks to the global interoperability model that encourages more choices for EV charging networks and reduces barriers for market entry.
- To achieve innovative solutions and competitive offerings, the partners are adopting an API-based approach for rapid integration and scalability in Australia's charging infrastructure, preparing local and international players for future opportunities.
- Not only does the partnership drive progress in the EV industry, but it also focuses on the security of the entire system, such as addressing vulnerabilities in Australia's energy industry and ensuring compliance with the CSIP-AUS standard for secure communications with energy resources like batteries and solar inverters.
