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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Yes, some electric-vehicle charging infrastructure has measurable security weaknesses, but the evidence does not show that every charger is vulnerable or that a specific public charger has been successfully hacked. A 2024 study of 325 public CCS DC chargers in four European countries found that 12% implemented TLS, a security protocol used to protect communications. That result raises legitimate concerns about the sampled deployments; it is not a worldwide rate, a finding about home chargers, or proof that each charger without TLS was compromised.
What the charger-security study actually found
In Current Affairs: A Security Measurement Study of CCS EV Charging Deployments, Marcell Szakály, Sebastian Köhler and Ivan Martinovic examined 325 public CCS DC chargers from 26 manufacturers across four European countries. The chargers were manufactured between April 2013 and June 2023, and some were installed as late as May 2024. The authors report that 12% implemented TLS and that most used a decade-old firmware version for their HomePlug modems.
TLS helps protect communications against eavesdropping and tampering. Its absence is a security concern, but it does not by itself demonstrate that an attacker accessed a particular station or that every unencrypted connection can be exploited. The study says the remainder were vulnerable to attacks demonstrated in earlier work; that is a statement about exposure to known attack techniques, not evidence that each sampled charger was successfully compromised.
The sample is specific: public direct-current chargers using the Combined Charging System (CCS), in four European countries. It does not establish the security of residential AC chargers, every charging protocol, current equipment everywhere, or U.S. deployments. The study was published as a 2024 preprint and its installation data extend through May 2024, so it should not be read as a live inventory of charger security.
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Why a charging station is more than a plug
A connected charging station can exchange information with a vehicle, a charging operator’s backend, cloud or third-party services, and sometimes the networks serving the site or utility. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in its October 2023 extreme-fast-charging cybersecurity profile, treats this as a multi-domain system spanning the vehicle, charging equipment, cloud and third-party operations, and utility or building networks.
That means “charger security” is not one switch. Relevant points include the charger’s own software and interfaces, communications between the charger and its operator, operator accounts and remote-maintenance tools, payment and customer-data systems, and any connections to local building or utility networks. A weakness in one layer can create risk for that layer or its connected services, but it does not automatically give an attacker control of the electrical grid.
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- Compatible EV Models -This EV charger works with most major electric vehicles, including Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Audi, Nissan Ariya, Rivian R1S, Kia, and others. However, it's not compatible with Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop,Toyota Prus Prime/Z4X/RAV4Prime, Porsche Taycan Base/4S/Turbo/Turbo S or Tesla models (Tesla requires a J1772 to Tesla Adapter, sold separately). For a full list of compatible models, check out the Full Compatibility List on our product page.
- Indication Displays - LED display that can tell you the status as well as indicate errors while charging your electric vehicle.
NIST presents its profile as a risk-management aid to supplement existing cybersecurity programs and standards, not replace them. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Office of Energy and Transportation likewise describes charging stations as both transportation and grid assets, connected to outside services for operations, maintenance, and user features.
What an attacker might do—and what has not been established
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) warned on April 10, 2024 that malicious actors could infiltrate devices or networks to access user data, interrupt charging, or potentially cause a grid blackout. These are possible consequences, not a report that a charging-related blackout occurred.
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Depending on which system is exposed and what access an attacker obtains, security failures could put user or operational data at risk, disrupt charging, or affect operator services. More serious effects would depend on additional conditions, such as access to connected systems and the ability to bypass their protections. The sources reviewed here do not identify a named successful compromise of a deployed charger model or establish an incident count. The measured TLS result is evidence of a security gap in a defined sample, not proof of a successful attack on those stations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How operators and vendors can reduce the risk
Sandia National Laboratories’ recommended practices focus on limiting access, spotting changes, and containing any breach. The measures are operational safeguards, not a guarantee that a particular charger is secure.
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- WORKS WITH EVERY NON-TESLA EV: Standard J1772 connector plugs straight into Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Rivian, Lucid and every other EV or plug-in hybrid sold with a J1772 port - no adapter needed. Tesla drivers can charge too, using the J1772 adapter that comes with the car.
- PLUG IN, NO HARDWIRING: Level 2 charger delivers up to 40A to fully charge most EVs overnight. Plugs into a 240V, 4-prong NEMA 14-50 outlet (the RV/range type - NOT a dryer outlet) on a dedicated 50A circuit. The extra-long 25 ft cable easily reaches across a garage or driveway. Before ordering, check your car's port type and that you have the right outlet.
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- Use unique credentials rather than reusing passwords across devices or accounts.
- Limit maintenance accounts and apply access controls; use multifactor authentication where supported.
- Scan for vulnerabilities and unauthorized configuration changes, and keep firmware and other software maintained.
- Inspect tamper-evident seals as part of physical security checks.
- Separate information-technology (IT) networks from operational-technology (OT) networks so an incident in one environment is less likely to spread into another.
For procurement, the Joint Office provides sample cybersecurity clauses and describes public-key infrastructure work related to secure Plug & Charge. Buyers can ask vendors how they handle unique credentials, secure communications, signed or otherwise integrity-protected software updates, vulnerability disclosures, patch timelines, account permissions, logging, network segmentation, and end-of-support. These are useful due-diligence topics, not a universal certification checklist; the right requirements depend on the deployment and its risk.
What EV drivers can do
Drivers generally cannot inspect a station’s TLS configuration or backend security, and the available evidence does not support ranking consumer charger models as safe or unsafe. Practical steps are therefore limited: use a reputable charging network, protect the account used to access it with a unique password and multifactor authentication if available, and report suspicious station behavior to the operator. These steps can reduce account-related risk, but they do not verify the station’s technical security.
For context, CESER reported more than 175,000 publicly available U.S. charging stations in an April 10, 2024 article. That is a dated agency figure, not a current station count, and it says nothing by itself about how many U.S. stations are vulnerable. CESER also described more than $8 million in cybersecurity research projects planned or invested across 2022–2025, including a $2.4 million, three-year project on EV cybersecurity standards and testing. Those figures show federal research activity, not measured security improvements or attack outcomes.
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