The Expert Podcast

Here's another interesting development in the world of cyber security and even electric vehicles that may not have been considered. As electric vehicles become more popular and more common—remember, right now there's only about one percent of vehicles on the road that are electric—there's going to be a need for more chargers and more activity on those chargers. An EV charging station is simply an internet-connected appliance that provides electricity to charge your vehicle. When you plug in that charger cable, your vehicle recognizes it and goes through a communications process. You may have an account with a provider—maybe Tesla, maybe another provider—and it connects with the internet through that charging station. It tracks usage, payment information, and communicates voltage and network status to your vehicle.

Since it's connected to the internet, it's also subject to security problems, just like any other internet device such as your laptop or phone. Cyber security is a problem. Automotive News, a major car industry publication, has highlighted high-profile incidents of hacked EV charging stations that spotlight these vulnerabilities. Not only can hackers target the charging stations, but they might also be able to hack into your vehicle. They could potentially change dashboard screens, modify programming of computer chips, or track your location through the car's GPS. They could even disable your car's alarm system.

Here's a hypothetical scenario: what if a hacking group found an EV charging station in, say, Nashville, Tennessee, that had no security measures? They hack into it—not to disable or shut it down—but to connect to all the vehicles charging there. From this, they could disable security systems for the cars, obtain codes for the chips used to start the cars, and monitor GPS locations. If they know when you're outside the vehicle and where it is, they could steal your car. Is this far-fetched? Maybe. Maybe current technology doesn't allow this kind of access, and maybe EV charging stations are designed only to provide electricity. But wouldn't you want to know whether the security protections are already in place before 100 cars get stolen, disabled, or even subjected to ransomware?

This type of threat isn't widely recognized yet, but what is known is that charging stations are being hacked. Some hackers might simply be trying to get free electricity or charging time. However, there have been many examples of cyber security breaches in other electronic devices, such as CNC machining equipment and hospital systems. Hackers have been able to shut down ventilators or tamper with IV drips in hospitals, leading to potentially life-threatening situations. If you think an EV charging station is going to have more security than a hospital ventilator, think again. You'd expect hospital administrators and system designers to prioritize security because lives are at stake. But cars? Some might think, "They're just charging cars; why should we care?"

The reality is that both hospital equipment and cars have faced high-profile hacking incidents. While this doesn't mean you should throw away your EV or abandon the idea of owning one, it’s worth considering where this is heading. If you're in the automotive business, it's time to think about how this applies to charging stations and vehicle security. Leave your comments below—let us know what you think. Is this just a conspiracy theory or far-fetched speculation? Or is it something worthy of serious consideration to prevent future security problems?