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ITGlossary · EV charging
RFID Authentication
Contactless identification with a card or key fob, so that only authorised users can start a charging session at a station.
Technical level:Basic
The user taps the card on the charger, and charging starts only if the card is on the list of allowed users. The list can be stored in the charger itself or on a management platform via OCPP, which also records each user's energy.
It is useful in the open parking areas of apartment buildings, shared garages and businesses, where the charger is accessible to others and consumption must be split correctly. At public stations, the providers' cards work the same way, alongside mobile apps.
In a private, closed garage a card is usually unnecessary. If you do use one, keep a spare card in a safe place in case you lose the main one.
Related terms
- On-board Charger (OBC)The converter inside an electric vehicle that turns the station's AC into DC and sets the maximum AC charging power.
- Wallbox (home wall charger)A wall-mounted EV charger that charges with AC from its own circuit in the panel and communicates with the vehicle for safe charging.
- AC ChargingCharging with alternating current, where the vehicle's on-board charger converts it to direct current to fill the battery.
- CCS2 (Combined Charging System)The European connector standard that adds two DC pins below a Type 2 plug, allowing fast DC charging through the same vehicle inlet.
- CHAdeMOA Japanese DC fast-charging standard with its own separate connector, now giving way to CCS2 in Europe.
- Charging Modes (Mode 1–4)The IEC 61851 classification of EV charging, from a plain socket with no communication (Mode 1) to a DC fast charger (Mode 4).