EV charging in underground carparks is hard. Blockchain to the rescue
How distributed ledgers and NFC reduce EV range anxiety
NFC and blockchain solves a real-world problem
Their solution is a patent-pending self-reliant connectivity blockchain protocol called Apollo, which, combined with NFC, allows charging stations and smart devices to be deployed anywhere, even in the most rugged environments.
The company calls it the world’s first ‘No Internet for Things.’
I’m always interested in the answer to the question ‘Why now?’ and Bharadwaj explained the three inflection points that successfully came together in 2020:
Xeal has attracted plenty of interest from investors. The companyraised $14 millionin seed and VC funding earlier this year. Let’s take a look at their tech:
How Xeal charging works
As with any EV charging,a payment appconnects your car to the EV charger. With Xeal, the use ofNFCmeans the only time you need the Internet is to download the app in the first instance to create a profile that includes their personal and vehicle information and payment details.
You then receive a cryptographic token on your mobile phone that authenticates your identity and enables you to access all of Xeal’s public charging stations. The token is time-bound, which means it dissolves after use.
To charge your car, you hold your phone up to the charger. Your mobile reads the cryptographic token, automatically bringing up anNFCscanner. It opens the app, authenticates your charging session, starts scanning, and within milliseconds, the charging session starts.
All of this is without Internet access — it’s a closed-loop system without SIM cards or ethernet cables.
So, why can’t you just use NFC without blockchain?
The blockchain, or specificallythe distributed ledger, is used to record the specifics of the charging session. As Bharadwaj explained:
When the user next accesses WiFI, the user gets another token. More importantly, the details of their charging session – even if they forgot to log out – are distributed to other users’ phones in the network.
As a result, even if one phone fails to reconnect to Wi-Fi, other phones can update the ledger over the network.
As Bharadwaj detailed:
Security
One of themost significant pain points for EV charging is security. A cybercriminal could use multiple entry points to trigger an attack when you charge an EV– these range from charge point operators to payment providers, utility companies, and third-party vendors.
EV chargers are particularly vulnerable to “man-in-the-middle” attacks. These are cyberattacks where an attacker relays or alters communication between two parties. This enables the attacker to relay communication, listen in, and even modify what each party says.
Cybercriminals use these attacks to access personally identifiable information and steal credit card information.
Last year, security researchers SwRI developed a “man-in-the-middle” device that spoofed signals between a charger and vehicle. It could overcharge and undercharge the battery, potentially resulting in big safety problems.
With Xeal, explained Bharadwaj, the use of NFC means that to access the charging network, you need to be at the site, at the location of the device, and be within one inch to listen in on any communication. “We’re not going anywhere outside of the charger and the phone.’
Further, Distributed Ledger Technology is synchronized and accessible across different sites and geographies by multiple participants — in this instance, all the users of Xeal.
Distributed ledgers are inherently harder to attack than centralized networks because all of the distributed copies need to be attacked simultaneously for it to be successful. Further, these records are resistant to malicious changes by a single party.
The start of bigger things to come
Range anxietyis a huge problem that deters people from transitioning to electrical vehicles. I find Xeal interesting as they hit a critical intersection that has emerged not only for EV charging. As more devices connect to the Internet and machine-to-machine interactions become mainstream reliable connectivity is crucial.
According to Bharadwaj that company has also attracted interestfrom shared mobility escooter and smart door lock companies.
This is the second part of a series I’m writing about Web 3.0 and blockchain technology in mobility. I’m attempting to reduce the jargon and focus on the problems the tech aims to solve. Check outthe first piecewhere I dive deep into how one motorbike company uses blockchain technology for P2P trading.You may also enjoy:
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart ci(show all)Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin. She focuses on all things mobility: ebikes, autonomous vehicles, VTOL, smart cities, and the future of alternative energy sources like electric batteries, solar, and hydrogen.
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