Slide 1. Introduction.
The class develops the most common problems and their possible solutions when starting the charging process of an electric vehicle at a charging point.
Slide 2. Index.
- Recharging points in our facilities.
- Most common problems at the recharging point, and their possible solutions.
- Vulnerabilities in data sharing in battery consumption.
- Implications in fleet management.
Slide 3. Recharging points in our facilities.
The recharging process is one of the most important activities in the management of a fleet of electric vehicles, because if the vehicle cannot be recharged, it cannot be used to provide the service.
It is recommended to have the recharging points in our facilities, because we have controlled the whole process of recharging the vehicle, and cybersecurity with the following advantages:
- Vehicles are available to provide the service.
- Recharge vehicles at any time of the day.
- Use the most economical rates, for example at night.
- Control the cybersecurity of vehicles and recharging points.
- If there is a problem, it can be solved more quickly.
- Use smart charging.
- The recharging process is simpler than at public or third-party recharging points.
- Fewer recharging problems than public or third-party recharging points.
There are problems when recharging the electric vehicle, but with maintenance planning, review of our own recharging points, and training of our employees and drivers, they can be avoided or minimized.
It may happen that the vehicle is recharged at our facilities before starting the service, but it does not have enough autonomy for the whole route, and needs to be recharged at a public or third party recharging point.
If we use public or third-party recharging points, when we arrive at the recharging point it may not work, or it may be occupied by another vehicle, or other problems related to recharging or cybersecurity, so the vehicle cannot be used to provide the service for a while, in addition to higher recharging fees.
It must be taken into account that there are recharging problems that only public or third party recharging points have, such as payment.
The main problems that we can have in the recharging points are developed below, most of them have a solution in situ in the recharging point itself.
Slide 4. Most common problems at the recharge point, and their possible solutions.
- A simple communication problem.
The payment has been authorized through the app, you have connected the charging cable to the electric car and still no electricity is coming out, in some cases it may be that the charging station and the vehicle are simply not communicating optimally.
One option is to wait a while to see if the charging process starts. But if this does not happen, put the charging cable back into the charging station socket. Wait a few seconds and start the process again. In many cases this helps.
- Too much tension on the charging cable.
Sometimes the weight of the charging cables and an unfavorable position of the vehicle can cause the car to fail to charge. In some cases, the plug contacts do not fit perfectly with those of the charging socket of the electric car. If in doubt, move the plug slightly upwards and hold it firmly in the charging port until it is finally locked.
- Screen off.
You arrive at the charger and find the screen off. The first thing you think is that the charger is not working. But no, sometimes it's just the screen that can fail, for example if there is too much sunlight. The charging function can often be activated via an app or a QR code, or simply by bringing the charging card close to the terminal.
- Too slow to charge the vehicle.
Sometimes charging problems have to do with the driver being too slow to charge the vehicle. In most of the occasions, there is a maximum time between the authorization and the connection of the electric car charging plug.
When we exceed this waiting time, the charging process is prevented from starting for safety reasons. What we will have to do is to disconnect the charging plug again and do everything again from the beginning, but faster.
- Restart.
Sometimes changing chargers within the same charging point is not so easy because they are busy. But many operators and companies usually have a customer service at a telephone number indicated on a sticker on the charger itself that can often solve the problem remotely. Sometimes, it will be enough for them to restart the software, something that can be done remotely.
- The plug is jammed.
Before electricity enters the electric car, a mechanical locking occurs to ensure a stable connection between the plug and the socket. The plug usually unlocks automatically after charging, but what if it doesn't, stay calm, because if you pull the plug sharply, you run the risk of damage.
The connection can be unlocked manually, sometimes simply by means of a button with a plug symbol next to the socket. Other times the function is hidden in the infotainment charging menu. Often it is sufficient to relock and unlock the vehicle via central locking, or via a button in the trunk.
You have to refer to the vehicle's owner's manual to find out how to perform an emergency release.
A couple of minutes is all it takes to find the information you need. Open the trunk and look for a perforated cutout in the side paneling on the side where the cargo port is located. Behind that piece of felt is a button, or a ring that must be operated to unlock the cable plug that is inserted into the charging socket, and we cannot extract normally.
If this setback persists despite performing the above operation, the best thing to do is to contact the supplier of the charger where we intended to recharge or directly with the vehicle brand. In the worst case, we will have to wait for the technical assistance to arrive and help us in person.
- The charger does not recognize the cables.
Sometimes it can happen that when connecting the car through the cable, either on the integrated screen or in the app, it appears that it is not compatible. The problem is usually more of the charger than of the vehicle. We will try again but if it gives the same result, we will have to change to another charger. If it does not work either, we will call the phone number that appears on the charger to confirm that they are operational. If this does not work, the only thing left to do is to talk to the vehicle manufacturer.
- The charging station is not working properly.
The recharging starts normally, but after the time required to recharge the battery to 80%, the vehicle has only charged to, for example, 40%.
When this happens, especially with modern electric cars, we must assume that it is a problem with the charger, whose power output must be limited for safety reasons in case of an electronic fault that the supplier will have to solve.
This problem will hardly be solved in the short term or by a phone call, so the best option is to change the charger, assuming that the loss of time caused is beyond remedy.
- Defective charging station.
This may be due to technical failure, vandalism, lack of maintenance or a temporary breakdown. Whatever the cause, you will find yourself unable to charge your electric car and will have to look for another option. Finding a charging point that is not operational is all too common.
The solution to this problem is to plan your route well before setting off and have several alternative charging points located in case one fails. Another option is to notify the operator of the defective recharging point so that it can be repaired as soon as possible to avoid harming other users.
- Payment cannot be made at a public charging point.
One problem that can arise when charging your electric car at a public charging point is that you cannot pay for the service. This may be because the charging point does not accept your preferred payment method, such as card, cash or mobile app, or because there is a fault in the charging system.
The solution to this problem is to find out in advance about the payment methods available at public recharge points, and always carry several options just in case.
You can also use a specific card for electric cars, which allows you to access and pay at different charging networks. Another option is to contact the charging point operator to report the fault and look for an alternative solution.
In the era of digitalization, it seems that the companies responsible for managing public chargers have not yet managed to find the most favorable formula to avoid problems when it comes to covering the cost of charging an electric car. The inconveniences and hindrances in this regard are the most common when it comes to charging the battery of a vehicle with this kind of technology. This is mainly due to the different systems or methods of payment, direct debit, contactless, etc. and tariffs of the suppliers, which for now do not show much transparency and uniformity, which creates confusion and rejection in the consumer.
Currently, depending on the company managing each station, billing is either per kilowatt hour, per charging process or per time. In addition, it may be necessary to pay a basic or standard fee just to connect, not to mention roaming charges or additional charges for using fast or ultrafast charging.
Consequently, there are also various charging cards and different payment applications. Of course, not all of them work at all charging stations. The solution lies in a unification of platforms, which is already underway thanks to political pressure and pressure from the car brands themselves.
- The charger is not compatible.
One of the most frequent problems you may encounter when trying to charge an electric car is that the charger is not compatible with the vehicle's system.
This is because there are different types of connectors and power supply systems, depending on the manufacturer, model and country.
For example, in Europe the Type 2 or Mennekes connector is used, while in Asia the Type 1 or SAE J1772 is used. In addition, the power and voltage of the charger must be taken into account, as they may vary according to the type of charging, normal, semi-fast or fast, and the type of current, alternating or direct current.
The solution to this problem is to be well informed before buying the electric vehicle about what type of connector and power supply system it uses, and to make sure that it is compatible with our charging points, or those available in our area or at our usual destinations.
It is very important when importing electric vehicles from other geographical areas to ours.
It is also advisable to always carry an adapter or a cable compatible with our electric car, just in case we find ourselves with an incompatible charger.
Another option is to use a mobile application or a specialized website that will tell us where the nearest recharging points compatible with our vehicle are located.
- The power supply system is not correct.
Another problem that can prevent the charging of your electric car is that the power supply system is not the right one for the vehicle. This can happen if you connect the electric car to a domestic socket that does not have sufficient power or voltage to charge the battery.
It can also happen if you connect the electric car to a public charging point that does not have the right power or voltage for your vehicle.
The solution to this problem is to verify before connecting the electric car that the power supply system is compatible with the vehicle, and that it meets the minimum power and voltage requirements. If it does not, you should look for another power system that does.
Slide 5.Vulnerabilities in data sharing in battery consumption.
- The way we consume battery power.
In the case of electric vehicle batteries, as technology advances, so do the security risks. A recent study has revealed an unsuspected threat: batteries can leak personal information and enable malicious attacks.
When we think of the security of an electric car, we usually imagine protection systems against cyber-attacks that affect the vehicle's communication networks. However, the study carried out by researchers at the University of Padua has revealed that the very way in which we consume battery power is enough to expose sensitive information.
At public or third-party charging points there is a greater risk of this type of cyber-attack than at our own on-site charging points because we do not have control over cybersecurity.
- What information can the batteries reveal.
Using sophisticated machine learning algorithms, experts have managed to analyze the energy consumption patterns of an electric car and extract personal data with chilling accuracy.
With a success rate of 95.4%, the attacks analyzed by the researchers can determine critical aspects such as:
- Driver identity.
Each person has a unique driving style. The way we accelerate, brake and use energy allows an attacker to identify us with astonishing accuracy.
- Number of passengers.
Additional weight influences energy consumption, which allows us to determine whether the car is occupied by a single person or multiple people.
- Vehicle model.
Each electric car has a unique energy consumption pattern, making it possible to identify the exact model of the vehicle.
- Start and end of journeys.
By analyzing the energy consumption data, it is possible to deduce where a trip starts and ends, making it easier to monitor or even stalk a person.
- Use of auxiliary systems.
Air conditioning, heating and other devices affect energy consumption, revealing how we use these systems and in what weather conditions we move.
- How this information can harm us.
This information can be used to know all the operations of our fleet such as what are our routes, our customers, what services we perform, our schedules, the duration of the services, profile of our drivers, etc. that used by our competitors can be very harmful to our company.
They can also ask us for a ransom in a cryptocurrency in order not to disclose this data to third parties.
- The manner in which attacks are carried out are also the solution.
Batteries, which until now were considered a simple technical component, can become a dangerous source of information for cybercriminals. This study is a wake-up call for manufacturers and users alike: the protection of data generated by electric vehicles is an unfinished business that needs to be addressed urgently.
Attackers can access this data in a variety of ways. One option is through physical access to the car by manipulating the BMS-Battery Management System.
Another technique involves intercepting data while the car is communicating with charging stations or cloud applications. Malicious software installed in the vehicle's infotainment system could even be used.
Despite the seriousness of the problem, researchers have also proposed a possible solution: temporal data aggregation. This technique consists of averaging energy consumption over larger time intervals, reducing the accuracy of the attacks without affecting the vehicle's operation.
By applying this strategy, the effectiveness of the attacks was reduced by 45%, which is an important step towards greater protection of drivers' privacy.
Slides 6.Implications for fleet management.
It is recommended to implement the following measures to avoid problems during the charging process for electric vehicles in the fleet.
- Charging instruction manual.
The instruction manual must explain step-by-step instructions for charging, as well as a description of the charging points.
It must include all the problems that may occur and their possible solutions, as described above.
It must include contact persons or phone numbers within the fleet to report charging problems.
The instruction manual can be printed on the vehicle, in digital PDF format, or as a QR code on the vehicle's windshield or in a visible location with the charging instructions.
The instruction manual must be given to the driver or the person responsible for charging, and must always be available.
- Training on the charging process.
Drivers or charging managers must be trained on how to perform the vehicle charging process, including all possible incidents and possible solutions.
It is recommended that the charging point provider, provide the training in person at the charging point at our facilities, using several examples with the vehicles in our fleet.
- Charging managers.
It is recommended that there be workers in charge of charging the fleet vehicles. The driver or user of the vehicle hands over the vehicle, and these workers perform the charging.
- Charging point maintenance.
To avoid problems during the charging process, the charging point's software, screens, sockets, etc. must function properly. To achieve this, maintenance must be performed as directed by the charging point provider and within the established timeframe.
- 24/7 after-sales service from the charging point provider.
Before purchasing charging points, it is very important to know what after-sales service the charging point provider offers and their cybersecurity measures.
It is very important that they offer remote support or come to our facilities to resolve the charging point issue 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
- Charging point cybersecurity.
All appropriate measures must be taken to prevent cyberattacks that could access or obtain information, or manipulate the charging point or the electric vehicle while it is charging.
It is very important to maintain charging point software updates, and the cybersecurity measures that the charging point provider can provide, in addition to our own.
- Public or third-party charging points.
An electric vehicle may not have enough range to complete the route or service from our facilities and may need to recharge en route at a public or third-party charging point.
Third-party or public charging points are more likely to malfunction, have more problems with the charging process, or have cybersecurity issues than our own charging points.
It is recommended to reserve a charging point before starting the route and check if the charging point is working properly by consulting a charging point website.
The instruction manual should explain the problems and possible solutions that may occur at public or third-party charging points.
Slide 7. Thank for you time.
The class has developed the most common problems and their possibLe solutions when starting the charging process of an electric vehicle at a charging point, see you soon.
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