The Electric Vehicle Public Key Infrastructure Consortium (EVPKI Consortium), a cross-industry initiative aimed at establishing secure authentication systems for electric vehicle (EV) charging, has launched the production environment for the SAE EVPKI Solution.
Tim W. completing the Key Ceremony at DigiCert.
The milestone, marked during a formal Key Ceremony hosted by technical contractor DigiCert, Inc., is a critical first step toward establishing trusted communication between EVs and charging infrastructure.
The SAE EVPKI Solution enables a standardized, certificate-based system for plug-and-charge authentication between any EV and any public charger. It addresses one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: ensuring secure, interoperable charging transactions across different manufacturers, networks, and regions.
To operationalize the system, the EVPKI Consortium, in coordination with SAE Industry Technologies Consortia (SAE ITC), will begin onboarding compliant Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Root Certificate Authorities (CAs) as approved suppliers.
Each candidate CA will undergo a rigorous compliance evaluation (overseen by technical contractor Eonti, Inc.), including audits, interviews, and testing against SAE EVPKI’s technical, operational, and governance standards. Compliant CAs will be approved for inclusion in the SAE EVPKI Certificate Trust List (CTL), enabling trusted certificate exchange across the EV ecosystem.
The EVPKI CTL serves as the backbone of the SAE EVPKI system, creating a common foundation of trust among vehicles, charge points, and backend systems. It is designed to eliminate certificate mismatches and incompatibility issues that have historically limited charging interoperability and user experience.
The rollout of the production environment sets the stage for full implementation in 2025, including:
- Onboarding and certifying compliant Root CAs
- Establishing an open, competitive PKI supply market
- Supporting industry testing, training, and development programs
- Launching the field-ready SAE EVPKI solution
DigiCert will continue to serve as the system’s technical provider, supporting the operational security and integrity of the certificate infrastructure.
SAE ITC is a nonprofit affiliate of SAE International focused on accelerating the deployment of innovative technology solutions through collaborative consortia. The EVPKI Consortium includes stakeholders from across the EV industry, working together to define and operationalize digital trust systems needed for EV growth.
Filed Under: Charging, Technology News