Who issues the certificates?
The charger's root certificate comes from one certificate authority, the car's contract certificate from a chain under another.
The session still works, because both roots are on a list the charger trusts.
The questionWho issues the certificates, and how do different issuers come to trust each other?
Several of these roles can sit in one company; the structure is the same.
Several roots, one market
There is not one single root for . CharIN, the industry association behind the combined charging system, does not operate systems itself; it handed its PKI root to Irdeto for operation in 2024 and coordinates the governance of a multi-PKI architecture for Europe, including work with the PKI subgroup of the EU Sustainable Transport Forum in 2025.
CharIN also coordinates OPNC, a neutral API that builds on and supports environments with several V2G PKIs and several provider PKIs.
Check your understanding
3 questions. Answer all of them to complete this stop. Each answer explains itself.
Does CharIN issue Plug & Charge certificates itself?
CharIN states that it does not operate PKI systems; it handed its root to Irdeto in 2024 and coordinates governance.
What does a trust list do?
With several roots in the market, a list of trusted roots lets their chains work together.
Who needs the contract certificate to be created for it?
The contract belongs to the provider, so the contract certificate is issued for the provider's contract.
- ISO 15118 International standard for the digital communication between car and charger, the basis of Plug & Charge. EV charging fundamentals, stop 08 Glossary
- Plug & Charge The car identifies itself with a certificate when plugged in, so no card or app is needed. EV charging fundamentals, stop 08 Glossary
- PKI Public key infrastructure: certificate authorities, their roots and the rules by which certificates are issued, checked and revoked. Glossary
- V2G Vehicle to grid: the car feeds energy into the public grid, usually through an aggregator or supplier. Bidirectional charging, stop 02 Glossary
- CharIN: Plug & Charge at CharIN: standardised and interoperable. https://www.charin.global/technology/plug-charge/. Checked 09 Oct 2026.
- CharIN: Plug & Charge at CharIN: standardised and interoperable. https://www.charin.global/technology/plug-charge/. Checked 09 Oct 2026.