An Introduction to EIM and PnC for Payment Authentication in Euro Standard CCS2 EV Charging Stations

In the CCS new energy charging standards adopted in Europe and the United States, the ISO 15118 protocol defines two payment authentication methods: EIM and PnC.

Currently, the vast majority of ev charging stations available on the market or in operation—whether AC or DC—still only support EIM and do not support PnC.

Meanwhile, market demand for PnC is growing increasingly strong. So what distinguishes PnC from EIM?

EIM (External Identification Means)

1. External methods for identification and payment, such as RFID cards or mobile apps;

2. Can be implemented without PLC support;

PnC (Plug and Charge)

1. Plug-and-charge functionality requiring no user payment actions;

2. Requires simultaneous support from new energy electric vehicle charging stations, operators, and electric vehicles;

3. Mandatory PLC support for vehicle-to-charger communication;

4. Requires OCPP 2.0 or higher to enable PnC functionality;