By Sean Houchin, ELATEC Inc.: More than one million electric vehicles are registered in the U.S.—and they all have to plug in somewhere. As EV charging stations pop up across the country, one of the top questions will be how charging station users are identified, authenticated and connected with membership or payment systems. Radio‐frequency identification (RFID) cards and tokens and smartphone authentication apps have emerged as two viable options for EV charging authentication. Which is best? It may depend on the user base you plan to serve.

User Authentication for EV Charging

Most electric vehicle owners have a spot to plug in at home, either in their own garage or carport or in a designated charging spot in a tenant parking garage. But electric vehicles also need places to charge while owners are out and about. The EV charging market is broadly divided into two tiers:

  • Level 2 charging stations, which operate at 208-240 V and use AC power. These stations will add 20-25 miles of range in about an hour of charging. The U.S. Department of Transportation listed more than 22,800 public Level 2 EV charging stations across the nation as of mid-2020. They are commonly found in public parking lots and garages, hotels, grocery stores, malls and other commercial areas. They may also be installed in private parking garages and business parking lots for tenants, employees or fleet drivers.
  • Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFS) are designed to charge an EV battery to about 80% in 20-30 minutes. There are currently about 15,000 DCFC stations across the U.S., but their numbers are expected to explode as more people start taking EVs on longer road trips. They are commonly found along major interstate highways.

As the market evolves, user authentication requirements for EV charging stations are likely to vary by type, location and user base.


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This Week with ACDI: Authentication and Access Control