Berlin. Drivers of electric vehicles previously needed to
have the right charging card or smartphone app to gain access to public
charging stations.
To simplify this process, the Berlin-based
emobility specialist Hubject has developed a solution, which enables
customers to access charging stations by means of a digital
certificate: Plug&Charge via the international standard ISO 15118.
The automotive manufacturer Daimler and Hubject have now concluded the
pilot phase of the innovative system in cooperation with the charging
point operator ebee smart technologies. With the new smart EQ
fortwo/forfour, Daimler now has the first electric vehicle in series
production that supports Plug&Charge.
With this system, Hubject and
Daimler provide a future-oriented response to the development of a
convenient approach in relation to emobility, as even payment is made
automatically.
The charging cards and smartphone apps
currently in use are subject to regular criticism due in particular to
their complex operation. To make the charging process simpler and more
convenient for drivers of electric vehicles, Hubject has implemented a
Plug&Charge ecosystem, which does not require any other access
media.
The procedure is also significantly superior to previous
approaches in terms of security thanks to modern encryption and
signature mechanisms.
The international ISO standard 15118 is
used in Hubject’s charging solution for the first time. ISO 15118
governs the automated, secure exchange of information between the
vehicle and the charging infrastructure based on digital certificates.
Once the connection between the vehicle and the charging station is
established, the authorization data from the driver is transmitted and
compared in encrypted form. After the check has been completed, the
charging process starts automatically and the payment process is then
carried out without any further action.
Plug&Charge via ISO 15118
thus enables secure authentication and authorization of a charging
process for the first time, also available offline, where all that is
required is to plug in the charging cable – Plug and Charge.
Daimler AG has been a shareholder of Hubject GmbH since 2012.
Intelligently connected charging solutions are a key component of the
emobility campaign of Mercedes-Benz Cars. Keeping the mobility needs
and comfort of its customers in mind at all times, Daimler AG takes a
holistic approach to the issue of charging with various types of
partnerships and projects.
With the new smart EQ fortwo/forfour,
Daimler has the first electric vehicle in series, which supports ISO
151118 and therewith ready for the future rollout of the system. This
makes the company the perfect partner for the recently completed pilot
phase of the world’s only ISO 15118 ecosystem currently in production
from Hubject. The successful tests confirm that Plug&Charge is
ready for series application as an innovative solution for the
automated authorization and payment of the charging process.
“Together
with Daimler, we are drawing closer to our vision: simple charging and
payment for electric vehicles for everybody. Everywhere. Charging with
Plug&Charge via ISO 15118 is our next step on the way towards a
fully automated, customer-friendly charging experience,” remarks
Hubject CEO Christian Hahn.
In addition to the shareholders of
Hubject, all market players worldwide across all industries can now
join Hubject’s ISO 15118 ecosystem. The ISO 15118 standard also
describes further types of applications such as the future integration
of electric vehicles in the energy grid (smart charging), thus laying
the foundations for a secure, sustainable charging infrastructure.
Source: Daimler
