More Public Chargers? Not Too Fast: The Growing Need to Securely Manage EV Charging Infrastructure

Electric vehicles (EV) are some of the hottest items today across the automotive and tech industries. With EV adoption accelerating year by year, there is no doubt now that EVs are on their way to take over the automotive market. However, with new EV releases and feature updates gathering all the spotlights, a complementary market — the market for EV charging infrastructure — is often overlooked.

EV charging infrastructure, or EV supply equipment (EVSE), refers to the charging stations and charging points that supply electricity to an EV’s battery. Clearly, the development and commercialization of EVs and EV charging infrastructure must go hand in hand. Knowing that EVs cannot thrive without decent charging infrastructure, automotive OEMs are constantly working with charger manufacturers and charge point operators (CPO) to bring smarter and faster charging infrastructure to the market, creating an environment that enables EVs to reach their maximum potential.

The question is: is the EVSE industry prepared to fulfill the massive influx of EVs over the coming years?

Private vs. Public Charging Infrastructure

Although a privately owned home charger is most likely the primary charger for the average EV owner, the long-term sustainability of the EV market depends heavily on the availability of public charging infrastructure. With a significant portion of urban residents living in apartments and condos with shared parking garages, public chargers must be adequately established to fulfill the growing charging demands. Moreover, for the times when longer trips are made, public EV chargers must be easily accessible en route. Therefore, to enable a seamless EV user experience, public charging infrastructure must be established on a wide scale.

The development and deployment process for private and public chargers vary significantly. Unlike a home charger, which simply contains electrical conductors and their related equipment, a public charger is much more complex, containing software for processing account information and billing, and communication protocols that deliver data between the vehicle and the charger. These software-enabled features make them more expensive and time-consuming to deploy and maintain.

The Current State of Public Charging Infrastructure

Overall, the market for public EV charging infrastructure has been growing at a steady rate. As of 2021, the United States has about 115,000 publicly accessible EV charging points, just surpassing its number of gas stations. Realizing that public charging infrastructure is crucial to EV adoption and achieving carbon emission targets, President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has dedicated $7.5 billion to developing publicly accessible EV charging points, with the goal of installing 500,000 additional public EV chargers compatible with all kinds of vehicles by 2030.

However, are 500,000 additional public chargers enough to fulfill the forecasted growth of EVs? To put the numbers in perspective, the US has a goal of cutting its road transport carbon emission by half in 2030. To reach this target, roughly one in every two new cars sold in 2030 must be an EV. However, according to research by McKinsey, if half of all new vehicles sold were to be EVs in 2030, the US would need 1.2 million public EV chargers by that year, meaning that even with 500,000 additional public chargers deployed, the total number will still fall short by nearly 600,000 units.

Then is it time to further accelerate public charger deployment? Ideally, yes. But not too fast.

The Challenges of Deploying Public Charging Infrastructure

A critical flaw of the current charging infrastructure development plan is that it puts too much emphasis on numbers, neglecting an important fact—the number of chargers isn’t all that matters. In fact, a recent survey conducted by J.D. Power revealed that among the 11,550 American EV drivers surveyed, one in five people reported not being able to charge their car during their visit to a public charging station. Among all the failed cases, 72% of them were attributed to nonfunctional equipment.

This clearly demonstrates that chasing numbers won’t guarantee promising results. It is pointless to have 500,000 chargers if 100,000 of them don’t work. Imagine the frustration of running low on battery and coming to the only available charger within range, only to discover that it does not work. If a one-in-five failure rate is not significant enough to raise an alarm, remember that most public EV chargers are built within the last several years; if nothing is done to address this issue, it is only a matter of time before more chargers end up dysfunctional.

Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that operating and maintaining an EV charging station is completely different from operating a gas station. Since charging takes much longer than filling gas, a much greater number of charging stations are needed than gas stations, making it impossible to staff them all. This makes it difficult for CPOs to monitor and maintain their charging points. A wide range of issues may arise in poorly maintained EV chargers, such as broken connectors, power failures, network failures, payment system failures, and unresponsive screens.

How a Charging Station Management System Can Help

A Charging Station Management System (CSMS) is a system software that connects to the Charge Point Operation Server (CPOS), which hosts all the applications built into the chargers. The CSMS collects real-time information on all chargers within the charging network. By doing so, it allows the CPO to monitor all its public chargers in real-time and respond to any errors or malfunctions immediately to guarantee service satisfaction. System and security updates can also be performed remotely on a timely basis. Depending on the service scope of the CSMS provider, CPOs can also utilize a CSMS to manage their customer accounts and billing information.

Additionally, the CSMS offers more potential benefits beyond charging station management. The charger data it collects can be used to provide a variety of customer-oriented EV charging information services. For instance, AUTOCRYPT has utilized the data it collected from its CSMS to operate a charger locator map in South Korea that provides real-time charger information such as location, availability, plug type, and price.

With the help of a CSMS, CPOs can deploy larger numbers of charging points across a wide range of locations without sacrificing service quality, while saving costs in the long run. By providing a secure and seamless charging experience for EV users, it helps create an EV-friendly environment that encourages continuous adoption.


AUTOCRYPT’s EVIQ is an EV charging and management solution centered around its CSMS, providing a comprehensive management platform for CPOs. At the same time, AUTOCRYPT offers a Plug&Charge (PnC) security module in compliance with ISO 15118, ready to be integrated with the PnC server, bringing security and convenience to both the CPO and its customers.

To learn more about AUTOCRYPT’s EV charging security and management solutions, contact global@autocrypt.io.

To stay informed and updated on the latest news about AUTOCRYPT and mobility tech, subscribe to AUTOCRYPT’s quarterly newsletter.

Inclusive Mobility Services Solution AutoCrypt EQ Wins “Ride Hailing Innovation of the Year” at 2022 AutoTech Breakthrough Awards

SEOUL, KOREA, Oct. 17, 2022 — AUTOCRYPT, a world-leading provider of cutting-edge automotive cybersecurity and mobility solutions, draws industry recognition for its inclusive mobility services solution – AutoCrypt EQ – as it was announced as “Ride Hailing Innovation of the Year” at the 2022 AutoTech Breakthrough Awards, held by AutoTech Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization specializing in the automotive tech industry. In both 2020 and 2021, AUTOCRYPT was AutoTech Breakthrough’s choice for “Automotive Cybersecurity Company of the Year”.

AutoCrypt EQ is a comprehensive mobility service offerings suite dedicated to building inclusive and barrier-free service platforms for partners and clients. By offering a complete package that covers service planning, fleet management integration, UI design and branding, along with application development, AutoCrypt EQ brings a fully managed service to mobility operators who wish to serve those with mobility challenges and accessibility needs.

AUTOCRYPT has thus far developed many popular accessible mobility platforms in Korea—including a barrier-free DRT service, an accessibility mapping app, and a voucher taxi for new parents—through partnerships with local governments, businesses, and hospitals. The latest recognition signifies the success of these projects and progress for global expansion.

Daniel ES Kim, CEO of AUTOCRYPT, commented, “We are overjoyed to be recognized by AutoTech Breakthrough for our tremendous efforts in developing inclusive mobility services. We have always envisioned universal mobility and will continue to invest our resources into making that a reality.” On future plans for AutoCrypt EQ, he added, “We are currently discussing opportunities with NGOs and healthcare providers in North America and Europe to expand AutoCrypt EQ’s global coverage.”

“It isn’t easy to serve such a niche demographic, as it requires a lot of extra planning and development, without being able to charge a premium,” said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of AutoTech Breakthrough Awards. “AUTOCRYPT has made it both achievable and financially sustainable through its secure fleet management technology. Its needs-focused service and accessibility features truly set them apart and make them our pick for the ‘Ride Hailing Innovation of The Year’ award.”

In June, AutoCrypt EQ was also selected as one of the only two finalists for “Mobility Service Provider of the Year” at the 2022 Informa Tech Automotive Awards, one of the industry’s most prestigious awards. In addition to building mobility service platforms, AUTOCRYPT also prioritizes making roads more inclusive through offering pedestrian safety solutions that enable vulnerable road users (VRU) to join in the V2X ecosystem using their mobile devices, enabling a truly safe autonomous mobility experience through vehicle-infrastructure and vehicle-device cooperation.

For more information regarding AUTOCRYPT’s mobility offerings, contact global@autocrypt.io.

Pedestrian Safety Month: How to Achieve Zero Road Fatality with V2X?

In 2020, the US Department of Transportation (DOT)’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) designated October as National Pedestrian Safety Month, celebrating the right to safety for every user of the road. The goal is to raise public awareness and strengthen efforts on improving road safety, with an emphasis on protecting vulnerable road users (VRU). VRUs include any road user that is not protected by a metal frame, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

The Current Stance of Road Safety

According to the latest statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.3 million people across the globe die every year from road traffic incidents, with another 20 to 50 million people suffering non-fatal injuries, many of which lead to permanent disabilities.

The good news is that in most of the developed world, the number of road fatalities has seen a steady decrease over time. This pattern is especially salient in Europe; the road fatality figure of the European Union has more than halved from 51,400 deaths recorded in 2001 to 19,800 deaths in 2021. Based on the trajectory, the EU is targeting less than 11,400 annual deaths by 2030.

Beyond Europe, a similar downward trend can be seen in other developed countries like Japan, Canada, Korea, and Australia. In fact, the United States is the only country among advanced economies where road fatality saw an increase over the past decade.

This leads us to the bad news. Unfortunately—just like the United States—many parts of the world are not seeing a decrease in road fatality, meaning that the world is becoming increasingly polarized in terms of road safety. Today, 93% of the world’s road fatalities happen in less developed countries. By working with the above figures, it can be derived that road fatality in the EU only accounts for 1.5% of the global figure, despite its population representing 5.6% of world population.

Reasons for Road Traffic Accidents

To improve road safety, the best measure is to tackle the causes of traffic accidents and prevent them in the first place. To most daily drivers, operating a vehicle can feel like a subconscious task. Despite so, driving requires an intensive amount of data processing in the subconscious mind, with countless perception-judgment cycles happening every minute. One error in any of the two processes can lead to dangerous situations and potential accidents.

As expected, most errors leading to accidents are human mistakes or flaws. For instance, errors in perception can occur under low visibility, often a result of poor weather conditions or complicated terrain. Perception errors can also be caused by a lack of attention on the road due to smartphone distraction or mental stress. Similarly, judgment errors can be caused by sleep deprivation or alcohol consumption.

Oftentimes, a fatal crash isn’t the result of a driver’s error, but an error made by a vulnerable road user. For instance, a lot of road fatalities are the result of pedestrians and cyclists disobeying signals. Hence, improving road safety requires collective efforts from all road users.

Efforts to Reduce Road Traffic Accidents

By studying the potential reasons and scenarios that could result in traffic accidents, the transportation sector and the automotive industry have made a lot of preventative and protective efforts. Thanks to these efforts, many countries have managed to reduce road fatality at a steady rate.

The most significant effort is the adoption of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in newer vehicles. Features like blind spot detection, lane keep assist, collision alert, and emergency braking have contributed to a great reduction in crashes. In recent years, OEMs and ADAS suppliers have further strengthened the capability of sensor and AI-based object recognition technologies to achieve a driving automation level of L2 and up to L3. Tesla’s Autopilot is one of the most marketed examples.

Other preventative measures have also been made, such as enforcing lower speed limits, increasing penalties for traffic law violations, and more spending on educating road safety to the public. Conventional protective measures have also seen great improvements, with safer airbags and vehicle structures that are better capable of absorbing crash energy.

Why Are These Efforts Not Enough?

Although ADAS adoption has demonstrated great results in reducing traffic accidents, its influence is limited to more advanced economies. Since the cost of ADAS is mostly distributed to end consumers, most consumers in low- and mid-income economies may find it too expensive to purchase a new vehicle with all the ADAS features. This explains why most of the reduction in road fatality was observed in high-income economies.

Besides being expensive, sensors have their limitations. Regardless of the amount of machine learning fed into the algorithm, in the end, sensors are just like the human eye, which must see and identify an object before making judgments. This makes sensors prone to distortion and blind spots.

Then what else can we do to achieve zero road fatality? Perhaps we can take a look at the commercial aviation industry, which has achieved zero fatality almost every year throughout the past decade. Of course, comparing road traffic with air traffic is comparing apples to oranges. Still, one thing we can learn from air traffic coordination is that it does not rely on visibility. Decisions and flight paths are determined through wireless communication.

Why Is V2X the Ultimate Answer to Achieving Zero Road Fatality?

Wireless communication for road traffic is called V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication. This allows vehicles to seamlessly communicate with surrounding vehicles, road infrastructures, and even the handheld devices of vulnerable road users, to ensure that every participant on the road can receive real-time warnings and seamlessly cooperate through what is referred to as cooperative autonomous driving.

To enable V2X connectivity, a vehicle needs to be equipped with an onboard unit (OBU), while a roadside unit (RSU) needs to be installed into every relevant road infrastructure. Smartphones are also readily available V2X connectivity units, allowing vulnerable road users carrying smartphones to enroll in the V2X ecosystem. In general, V2X connectivity units are cheaper to install and deploy than ADAS, and their long-term maintenance costs are also lower.

In the short run, V2X is a great complementary measure to ADAS. Although equipping all road users and infrastructures with V2X may take decades, municipalities can begin by installing RSUs in areas with frequent accidents and areas dangerous to pedestrian safety.

By seeing the invisible and communicating information based on facts, V2X will be the ultimate answer to zero road fatality.


As an automotive cybersecurity and mobility solutions provider, AUTOCRYPT plays a crucial role in securing V2X communications. Its V2X solution is readily installable onto OBU/RSUs, consisting of a secure communication module, a PKI backend, an Integrated Management System for SCMS, along with a root CA service for the V2X-PKI ecosystem.

To learn more about AUTOCRYPT’s V2X security offerings, contact global@autocrypt.io.

To stay informed and updated on the latest news about AUTOCRYPT and mobility tech, subscribe to AUTOCRYPT’s quarterly newsletter.

AutoCrypt IVS Named “Automotive Cybersecurity Solution of the Year” in 2022 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards

SEOUL, KOREA, October 7, 2022 — Automotive cybersecurity and mobility solutions provider AUTOCRYPT announced today that its in-vehicle systems security solution – AutoCrypt IVS – has been named winner of the “Automotive Cybersecurity Solution of the Year” award in the sixth annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards program, conducted by CyberSecurity Breakthrough, a leading independent market intelligence organization that recognizes top companies, technologies, and products in the global information security market.

AutoCrypt IVS is an end-to-end solution that protects the embedded systems of automobiles from cybersecurity threats, starting from Threat Assessment and Remediation Analysis (TARA) and vulnerability testing at the development stage, all the way to intrusion detection and prevention throughout the consumption stage. Not only does AUTOCRYPT secure vehicles at all stages of the lifecycle, but also provides real-time monitoring features to ensure that OEMs comply with UNECE WP.29 regulations (UN R155/R156).

“We are incredibly grateful for this recognition from CyberSecurity Breakthrough. As we have always emphasized, modern vehicles are largely defined by software, which makes it crucial to ensure that a vehicle is both free of vulnerabilities prior to production and well protected from cyberattacks during consumption,” said Daniel ES Kim, CEO of AUTOCRYPT. “We understand the difficulties OEMs are facing with growingly sophisticated in-vehicle systems and tightened cybersecurity regulations. Over the past decade, AUTOCRYPT has sought to fill this gap by helping OEMs assess, deploy, and manage the cybersecurity of their in-vehicle systems.”

“In the automotive cybersecurity market, the fewer parties that are involved throughout the vehicle lifecycle, the easier it becomes for the OEM to streamline the cybersecurity process and minimize errors,” said James Johnson, Managing Director of CyberSecurity Breakthrough. “AutoCrypt IVS is the only in-vehicle systems security solution that covers TARA, security testing, and threat mitigation. This meaningful breakthrough is why we chose AutoCrypt IVS for ‘Automotive Cybersecurity Solution of the Year.’”

Besides AutoCrypt IVS, AUTOCRYPT offers a wide range of solutions from V2X security, secure fleet management, Plug&Charge (PnC) security for EVs, and mobility service planning and development.

For more information regarding AUTOCRYPT’s vehicular security and mobility offerings, contact global@autocrypt.io.

Spotlight: Introducing IMS for SCMS at ITS World Congress 2022

This blog depicts an insider’s perspective of AUTOCRYPT’s trip to ITS World Congress 2022 in Los Angeles, where it unveiled its Integrated Management System (IMS) for SCMS – a central management tool for cross-region V2X-PKI certificate management.

Los Angeles, the city of the American dream. But besides palm trees, sunny beaches, and Hollywood, the city is also widely known for being a prime example of urban sprawl. As a city planned for and shaped by automobiles, LA is one of the most car-dependent metropolises in the world, with many of its residents facing painfully long and congested commutes. Like many other North American cities and suburbs, LA is in desperate need of smarter transportation infrastructures powered by transformative mobility technologies.

Transforming an established transport ecosystem isn’t an easy task, especially when it comes to road transport. Unlike a subway or bus system where all decisions can be made by one party, improving road transport requires multiple parties to make decisions on the same page and work at the same pace. Smart infrastructures are most effective when paired with smart cars, supported by compatible communications technologies.

The ITS World Congress was created for this purpose. Every year since 1994, the ITS World Congress gathers businesses, infrastructure operators, researchers, and policymakers at the frontier of ITS (intelligent transportation systems) development, to foster collaboration and partnerships among industry players to accelerate the commercialization of smart mobility technologies.

Rotating worldwide between major ITS tech hubs for 28 years straight, the ITS World Congress made its way to LA this year, bringing AUTOCRYPT to the city for the first time. As a tech leader in Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), AUTOCRYPT returned to this year’s event to showcase its Integrated Management System (IMS) for SCMS.

ITS World Congress 2022 held in LA Convention Center

From ITS to C-ITS

It might be a surprise that the term “intelligent transportation systems (ITS)” existed all the way back in the 90s, when the Internet barely reached the average home. Clearly, efforts to improve transportation using technologies have always been made. Yet, conventional ITS technologies mainly focused on traffic control, which isn’t enough to significantly improve road transport. In fact, traffic congestion and road fatality only worsened as urban population continued to grow across the globe.

With advancements in IoT and communications technologies, the idea of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) took off, centered around the goal of enabling real-time cooperation between different road participants – including vehicles, infrastructures, and pedestrians – by utilizing V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communication technology.

C-ITS offers tremendous potential in the commercialization of full (L5) autonomous driving. Unlike camera and object recognition technologies, V2X enables Cooperative Autonomous Driving, allowing all vehicles and infrastructure to share and process real-time information long before cameras and lidars see things happen. Today, more and more industry professionals agree that V2X is the ultimate path towards full autonomous driving.

Given its potential, C-ITS technologies have gradually become the center of attention at the ITS World Congress, with many OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and software providers looking to expand their V2X capabilities. As a pioneer in securing V2X communications, AUTOCRYPT joins the ITS World Congress every year to share its latest technologies for C-ITS.

“Compared to the past, we are seeing more businesses joining the C-ITS ecosystem. It’s great to see a wide range of industry players and governments come together to accelerate developments for Cooperative Autonomous Driving,” said Esther Jeohn, AUTOCRYPT’s Marketing Director, “We are glad that more and more partners are joining us to put efficiency, sustainability, and zero fatality on the priority list.”

AUTOCRYPT connecting with industry partners at ITS World Congress 2022

AUTOCRYPT’s Integrated Management System (IMS) for SCMS

As the highlight of this year’s ITS World Congress, AUTOCRYPT unveiled its new Integrated Management System (IMS) for SCMS – a custom-built V2X-PKI certificate management tool that enables OEMs to monitor, supervise, and manage all the issued and revoked certificates for their vehicle fleets on a centralized user interface. A one-stop solution, IMS for SCMS enables admins to easily switch between regions and countries, compatible with the North American SCMS, the European C-ITS CMS (CCMS), and the Chinese C-SCMS.

The AUTOCRYPT team demonstrating IMS for SCMS to partners and clients

Sean Cho, President and CEO of Autocrypt North America, explained to partners at AUTOCRYPT’s booth, “As V2X connectivity becomes a standard feature for newer vehicles, OEMs are faced with the need to access and manage a massive number of V2X-PKI certificates issued to their fleets. IMS for SCMS eases this process, with customizable features to satisfy each unique need.”

With IMS for SCMS, OEMs will have the capability to manufacture and manage more V2X-enabled vehicles in the future, accelerating V2X implementation in the industry. To request a demo for IMS for SCMS, contact global@autocrypt.io.

Besides IMS for SCMS, AUTOCRYPT’s V2X security solution includes a V2X communications security module, a V2X-PKI backend, and root CA services for the SCMS ecosystem.

The AUTOCRYPT team concluding ITS World Congress 2022

To stay informed about future events and get updated on the latest mobility tech news, subscribe to AUTOCRYPT’s quarterly newsletter.

AUTOCRYPT Unveils Integrated Management System for SCMS at ITS World Congress 2022

LOS ANGELES, September 29, 2022 — AUTOCRYPT, an industry-leading C-ITS cybersecurity and smart mobility solutions provider, demonstrated its newly launched Integrated Management System (IMS) for SCMS at ITS World Congress 2022 in Los Angeles. As the sole V2X security provider for all C-ITS projects in Korea, AUTOCRYPT specializes in securing V2X, in-vehicle systems, and Plug&Charge, as well as PKI systems and certificate authorization services.

AUTOCRYPT’s IMS for SCMS is an integrated certificate management tool for the Security Credential Management System (SCMS), a PKI-based security verification system for V2X communications. IMS for SCMS enables automotive OEMs to supervise and manage all issued and revoked certificates for their vehicle fleets in real-time – across all regions – on one centralized UI.

AUTOCRYPT’s IMS for SCMS dashboard showing an overview of SCMS data in a selected region

IMS for SCMS not only provides a detailed view of all certificates and related resources, but is also equipped with automated features and services that assist with certificate management, such as system inspection and diagnostics, as well as 24/7 response for operational and technical issues. Custom-built based on the user’s needs, it is compatible with the North American SCMS, the European C-ITS CMS (CCMS), and the Chinese C-SCMS.

“At AUTOCRYPT we believe that V2X is the ultimate solution to safer transport and fully autonomous driving. One of our primary goals is to make the V2X ecosystem both secure and convenient for every party involved,” said Daniel ES Kim, CEO of AUTOCRYPT. “With the benefits of IMS for SCMS, we look forward to seeing more OEMs and infrastructure operators upscaling their V2X-enabled fleets and devices.”

Besides IMS for SCMS, AUTOCRYT’s V2X security solution includes a security module for OBUs/RSUs, V2X-PKI for road user authentication, and a root CA service that authorizes subordinate certification authorities.

To find out more about AUTOCRYPT’s V2X and automotive cybersecurity solutions, contact global@autocrypt.io.