Electric Vehicle Security and Privacy: A Comparative Analysis of Charging Methods

In the next decade, electric road vehicles have the potential to reduce climate change and improve mobility. However, not all charging methods are equally secure and private, so this work provides a comprehensive analysis of the security and privacy of various EV charging methods and highlights the importance of addressing vulnerabilities to meet homologation standards. Five charging methods are described in terms of physical components, communication protocols, and standards. This research identifies weaknesses in each method and determines which are less prone to cyber attacks or privacy disclosures. The impact of different charging methods on vehicle homologation is also discussed, as required by the cybersecurity regulation UNECE R155. A mapping is provided between vulnerabilities and suggested mitigations from the regulation. The evidence suggests that different charging methods result in different security and privacy levels, with conductive methods being more vulnerable to security attacks and privacy disclosure, while methods with fewer components may reduce security and privacy risks.