EV software company Monta and infrastructure provider Swarco have joined forces to create a secure EV charging solution that meets forthcoming safety standards in the UK.

The partnership between Monta’s software and Swarco’s software and charge points ensures a secure solution for drivers

The latest legislation comes into effect on 30 December 2022 and will regulate security and safety at private charge points across the UK. This is on the back of the first part of the smart charging regulations, which was introduced in June and focused on smart charging and managing demand on the grid.

The Schedule 1 update contains information security requirements and physical tamper-proofing to ensure a safe charging experience for all EV drivers in the UK.

From 30 December, all charge points sold in the UK must meet security requirements consistent with the existing cyber security standard ETSI EN 303 645. Charge points must also incorporate safety provisions, preventing the user from carrying out an operation which could risk the health or safety of a person.

Alok Dubey, UK country manager at Monta, said the new regulatory requirements have taken the UK EV charging market a little by surprise.

“While the regulations are great for consumers, and will make the EV charging experience safer, the regulations didn’t take into account the challenges of updating physical products,” he elaborated.

Monta’s software will ensure any passwords set on a charge point are securely stored and managed, firmware updates are provided over the air and any unauthorised changes are notified to the owner, and that communication with the charge point is encrypted and stored in a secure log.

Swarco’s hardware will ensure that each charge point has a tamper-proof boundary and that any hardware required for testing, but not for charging, will not be exposed.

As Swarco’s charge points used in the private sector will be part of the ‘Powered by Monta’ programme, they can be shipped directly from the factory with Monta software – therefore meeting the ease-of-use requirements and a simple set-up process.

“Hardware providers like Swarco have had to interrupt supply chains to meet the new requirements. This is why partnerships are so important to us at Monta, we take care of the software requirements and our partner Swarco can meet the hardware needs,” Dubey concluded.

Nathan Fearnhead, solutions director at Swarco, added: “We’re experienced in building a complete solution, but it’s great to be able to partner with agile software providers like Monta to reduce some of the challenges of changing product strategies and regulations. Monta’s software complements our in-house software and charge points to create a safe, secure, and intelligent solution for our customers across the UK.”