Keaton PetersA new public-private partnership aims to standardize the experience of charging up electric vehicles making it faster and easier. SAE Industry Technologies Consortia and the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced that they are working to build out a universal system that will enable automatic vehicle authentication at public charging stations, eliminating the need for drivers to manually process payments when plugging in their vehicles.
The development marks a significant shift away from the current fragmented system where automakers and charging networks use proprietary authentication solutions and cannot communicate with each other.
The Electric Vehicle Public Key Infrastructure (EVPKI) framework creates an industry-wide standard that will allow vehicles, chargers and charging networks to securely communicate with each other. The project headed up by SAE Industry Technologies Consortia includes major automakers as partners including Ford, Toyota, GM and Tesla. The initiative also includes charging station operators, charging equipment manufacturers and software providers.
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The electric vehicle charging landscape is rapidly evolving as government policies are incentivizing more widespread EV adoption. But the current charging experience remains a significant barrier, with drivers often needing multiple apps and payment methods to use different charging networks. This new framework promises to streamline that experience by enabling universal “Plug & Charge” capability across all public stations.
The backbone of this new system is the Certificate Trust List developed by the SAE EVPKI Consortium. This technology enables secure, automated authentication as soon as a charging session begins. Beyond simplifying the charging process, the framework also establishes improved cybersecurity protocols and lays groundwork for advanced features like vehicle-grid integration.
“Universal Plug & Charge levels up the electric fueling experience—making it even easier than filling up with gas,” said Gabe Klein, Executive Director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, in a press release. “We are rapidly approaching a future where every EV driver can just plug in, charge up, and go.”
The initiative will begin testing in 2025, with several key developments planned. These include establishing secure processes for technology exchange between vendors, testing user onboarding, and creating a new competitive market for EV charging equipment suppliers.
The framework could also enable more advanced features in the future. Officials at the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation noted that Plug & Charge technology creates opportunities for bidirectional energy flows and advanced grid services, potentially making the power grid more resilient because in a power shortage, EV owners could easily supply power back to the grid from their vehicles.
Photo by Kindel Media
