This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry.

by Andrei Moldoveanu, Senior Program Manager, NEMA

One of the most significant efforts to boost the electric vehicle (EV) industry is to overcome the natural anxiety EV drivers experience when they travel farther than their regular commute. The answer is to create public charging stations similar to ones we see at gas stations everywhere. For several reasons, mostly financial and regulatory, one way to provide the most access to EV supply equipment (EVSE) is to link stations together and offer access via some form of club membership. Several companies followed this model. The result is that many distinct EV charging networks exist, each offering different complementary services.

Every network needs to make sure the EV driver is the authorized party incurring a financial or other obligation for the service. Conversely, the EV driver should have confidence that fraudulent transactions have not occurred.

NEMA EVSE 1 EV Charging Network Interoperability Standard—A Contactless RFID Credential for Authentication (UR Interface) describes a manner for authenticating EV charging service requests using contactless credentials such as wallet-sized cards (RFID), mobile phones, key-fob tokens, etc. It is a prerequisite for a more general Standardization effort permitting the EV drivers to charge their vehicles at EVSEs belonging to networks other than theirs.

NEMA is currently opening the Standard review process to interested stakeholders other than its manufacturer Members in an ANSI group so that the final document reflects the needs of an expanding market. ei