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California Might Deem EV Charging as “Basic Need”

With a future that is increasingly electrified, some believe that being able to fuel an electric car simply and anonymously falls under a ‘basic need’ category, the same as food, internet, and shelter. It looks like California may be headed this way by requiring the installation of credit card readers at EV stations.

California to Mandate Credit Card Use at EV Stations

The California Air Resources Board will be considering a new regulation in two weeks, mandating that all public electric car chargers have magnetic credit card readers on site.  They will also require a posted toll-free number be available to initiate charging sessions and make payments. 

This means that someone could potentially use any public charger in California with little more than a cheap burner cell phone and a pre-paid credit card.

Public charging network operators such as Electrify America and Chargepoint will be prevented from requiring a paid subscription or membership before allowing an individual to begin charging their vehicle.  Manufacturer-provided chargers for the exclusive use of their own vehicles only are not considered public, however, so they are exempt from this rule.  Legislation such as this may deter Tesla from opening up its network to another manufacturer in the future. 

Increased Security Risks

Such a decision is not without security risks, and consumer protection agencies are warning that the installation of magnetic card readers could paint a huge target on electric car charging stations for fraudsters. 

Most electric vehicle charging stations currently rely on contactless payments through RFID-enabled credit cards or via an app on a driver’s smartphone.  This completely cuts out the physical use of the credit card and lessens the risk that a card will have its data stolen.  For remote, unmonitored stations, a magnetic card reader is a prime target for tampering. Skimmers can be installed within seconds and are difficult to spot.   

While most of Europe has adopted chip-and-pin cards for payments, the U.S. still depends on the insecure magnetic stripe.  It is all too easy for criminals to use a skimmer to capture your credit card information and copy it to a new card or sell it on the black market.  Chip cards are more secure, but much of the same information can still be stolen through the use of hidden pinhole cameras. 

Ultimately, some form of contactless payment would be the safest option. 

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