Plug & Charge, ISO 15118 and the Role of Root CAs
- 2 minutes read - 340 wordsPlug & Charge, ISO 15118 and the Role of Root CAs
The ISO 15118 Plug & Charge standard relies on trusted certificate authorities (CAs) to authenticate vehicles, charging stations, and backend systems. Two major players operate today:
- Hubject V2G Root CA (long-standing operator, widely embedded in European vehicles)
- Irdeto CrossCharge / CharIN PKI (recently took over operation of CharIN’s PKI, expanding in Europe & North America)
For EV adoption, it is crucial to know which OEMs are likely to trust which Root CA.
Key points Vehicles typically embed multiple Root CAs (Hubject + CharIN/Irdeto), enabling wider interoperability. Hubject is the most established Root CA operator, with broad acceptance across European OEMs. Irdeto (operating CharIN PKI) is positioned to become a second global trust anchor, especially as ISO 15118-20 adoption accelerates.
As Plug & Charge scales, understanding which Root CA ecosystems your vehicle or charging infrastructure supports will be critical for seamless operation.
| OEM / model examples | Likelihood of trusting Irdeto / CharIN Root | Likelihood of trusting Hubject Root | Notes (short) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche Taycan | ✅ | ✅ | Porsche supports OEM provisioning; strong CharIN/Hubject ecosystem links. |
| VW Group (ID.4, Audi Q4, Škoda Enyaq) | ✅ | ✅ | VW Group engaged in CharIN/Hubject Plug & Charge efforts. |
| Mercedes-Benz (EQS, other EVs) | ✅ | ✅ | Early ISO 15118 adopters; broad ecosystem participation. |
| BMW (i4, iX, i5, i7) | ✅ | ✅ | Rolling PnC deployments in EU; multiple root acceptance likely. |
| Hyundai / Kia (Ioniq 5, EV6) | ✅ | ✅ | Hubject/CharIN partners; PnC rollouts reported. |
| Renault / Nissan (Ariya, Megane E-Tech) | ☑️ | ✅ | Pilots and rollouts underway; Hubject presence established in EU. |
| Stellantis (Peugeot, Opel, Fiat, DS) | ☑️ | ✅ | Rollouts vary by brand/market; Hubject integration common. |
| Volvo / Polestar | ☑️ | ✅ | Partner signals present; per-model details vary. |
| Ford (EU models) | ☑️ | ✅ | US pilots used DigiCert; EU behavior typically Hubject/CharIN aligned. |
| Lucid Air | ☑️ | ✅ | Early adopter signals; per-market variability. |
| Tesla (Model 3/Y, EU) | ❌ | ✅ | Tesla historically uses proprietary auth (Supercharger); public ISO15118 support limited. |
| ✅ = very likely | ☑️ = maybe | ❌ = not likely |
Photo by Leiada Krözjhen on Unsplash