Government task force tackles major headache for electric vehicle owners: 'Took way too long'
Americans struggle to move past gas-powered cars for many reasons. Now, one of those reasons is gone.
A consortium of stakeholders intends to roll out a universal plug-and-charge protocol for the electric vehicles in the United States this year, hybrid and electric car news site Green Car Reports said in a recent article.
What does this mean? It means no more app to download, no more fobs to access stations, and no more using chargers from an unfamiliar brand. A new initiative will make automatic authentication when EVs plug in at public charging stations possible.
EVs can help improve air quality by curtailing carbon pollution from the transportation sector, which constitutes one of the largest shares of U.S. pollution. However, there are obstacles to their adoption, such as the fragmentation of charging infrastructure networks.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the Biden administration's Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, and the Electric Vehicle Public Key Infrastructure (EVPKI) consortium of automakers and charging networks decided to take the problem in hand.
Together, they announced the establishment of a new security framework as part of efforts "to shift reliance away from individual automakers or specific hardware or software variations and make plug-and-charge the norm," Green Car Reports said.
"Universal Plug & Charge levels up the electric fueling experience — making it even easier than filling up with gas," Gabe Klein, the head of the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, said in a statement. "We are rapidly approaching a future where every EV driver can just plug in, charge up, and go; the network will talk to your car and process the payment seamlessly."
Green Car Reports, however, added that a Certificate Trust List (CTL) needed to be developed by the consortium members.
"It would essentially be a compendium of vehicles, hardware, and payment platforms that meet certain standards. The goal is to allow for quick authentication when a vehicle is plugged in to charge, by pre-clearing adherents to these standards."
When you think about owning an EV, what concerns you most about public charging stations?
Chargers not working
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Charging being too expensive
Charging taking too long
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
If part of the online community questioned, in reaction to the article, the creation of "yet another standard" that will only apply to the U.S. — against those implemented in China or Europe, some observers claimed that it should have been thought long ago.
"About time. It's getting crazy with the various networks, their stupid apps and payment options," one commented.
"This should have been thought out before 10+ years of EVs being available. Took way too long," another said.
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