System for charging and billing electric vehicles

Abstract

There is disclosed a system of intelligent charging and billing platform for electric vehicles. The system is configured to integrate plurality of modules through plurality of application program interfaces with plurality of electric vehicles, plurality of charging stations and plurality of graphical user interfaces, to facilitate registration, authentication, processing and reporting of electric vehicle charging and billing. For the end users, the system offers flexibility in terms of availability of the charging infrastructure and smart billing for the electric vehicles.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM FOR CHARGING AND BILLING ELECTRIC VEHICLES

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a system for charging and billing electric vehicles and method thereof.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] The growth in electric vehicle (EV) industry is exponential. The projections estimated in International Energy Agency’s (IEA) report (2021) state that the global EV fleet is expected to reach 230 million vehicles by 2030 (excluding two / three-wheeler vehicles). This growth is driven by the research and development in the automotive industry with respect to EV as well as the Governments’ policies and initiatives towards promoting clean energy. The governments have been providing incentives and tax rebates to make EV’s affordable to buyers. These subsidies and incentives have helped in improving the sale of EV’s in the past years. However, these benefits will be gradually phased out. As a result, there will be an inevitable challenge to attract consumers to adopt electric vehicles for not only their environment-friendliness, but also on account of their ease-of-use and convenience.

[0006] Accordingly, the present disclosure aims to address this challenge by providing a system for charging and billing electric vehicles. Some known technologies in the field provide a vending machine connected with the charging devices. One such technology is described by US Patent No. 9275381 which teaches a charging and billing system for electric vehicles having multiple charging devices that perform charging by supplying electricity, a separate vending machine which performs billing according to the amount of electricity supplied during charging, and a transmission line that connects the charging devices to the vending machine so as to enable information to the transmitted. Another more progressed technology is described by US Patent No. 10486541 which teaches a vehicle charging station for charging an electric vehicle that is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. The vehicle charging station is configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle. A drawback of these known technologies is that they teach restrictive infrastructures. Future innovations in this field demand an integrated and scalable infrastructure. There is therefore need for a system that will expand the charging infrastructure framework for EV’s, provide benefits to the consumers, government and private companies, and also conveniently integrate EV charging infrastructure into the present city planning and development schemes.

[0007] OBJECTS

[0008] Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for intelligent charging platform framework for electric vehicles which also aims to integrate various bodies including government, power distribution companies, automobile manufactures, automobile component manufactures, registered service providers for EV’s, and the like.

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0010] SUMMARY

[0011] According to the present disclosure, there is disclosed a system for charging and billing electric vehicles, the system comprising an application platform framework for charging and billing plurality of electric vehicles at plurality of charging stations, characterized in that, the system comprises: a registration module configured to enable registration of the plurality of electric vehicles and the plurality of charging stations at the application platform framework; an authentication and transaction module configured to authenticate an electric vehicle and electric vehicle user at the application platform framework for charging and billing, and further configured to authenticate a selected charging station where the vehicle is brought for charging; a charge data record processing module configured to process charge data record of a charging session and compute payment for the charging session; and a reporting module configured to provide information of the charging session to the user and the charging station, and facilitate payment for the charging session; and wherein, the system is configured to integrate the plurality of modules through plurality of application program interfaces with the plurality of electric vehicles, the plurality of charging stations, and a plurality of graphical user interfaces. According to one embodiment, the plurality of application program interfaces includes a user interaction module, an electric vehicle interaction module and a charging station interaction module. The plurality of graphical user interfaces includes user interfaces for integrating the user interaction module, the electric vehicle interaction module and / or the charging station interaction module with one or more entity selected from the group consisting of electric vehicle users, electric vehicle infotainment system, charging stations, automobile manufacturer companies, vehicle dealers and battery subscription services.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the system can be integrated with third-party platforms, wherein the third-party can be government body, public utility company, power supply company, private entity, mobility operator company, and the like.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module and the reporting module provide their respective information to a database.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the registration module comprises a plurality of components for collecting data via the one or more application program interfaces for the electric vehicle registration, charging station registration, electric vehicle consumer identification generation, charging station consumer identification genetation, user profile generation, electric vehicle mapping to profile, and charging station mapping to operator.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the authentication and transaction module is configured to obtain the user consent via the one or more application program interfaces before initiating the charging session by requesting one or more details selected from choice of electric vehicle, choice of charging station, acceptance of tariff rates, validation by PIN, and the like.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the authentication and transaction module is configured to generate an authentication PIN, a virtual vehicle identification, a charging session identification, and applicable tariff details, which are communicated to the user and / or the charging station through the one or more application program interfaces for authentication and initiation of the charging session.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the charge data record processing module is configured to receive from the charging station via the one or more application program interfaces the charge data record including the charging session identification, virtual vehicle identification, charging station identification, smart metering data, etc., after completion of the charging session.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the charge data record processing module is configured to integrate with third-party platforms for processing the charge data record and / or computing payment of a charging session.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the reporting module is configured to present charge data records of the charging session and facilitate payment via third-party platforms.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, the reporting module and the database are hosted on a server and / or cloud.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the system is configured to communicate with the electric vehicle user, the electric vehicle, the charging station, the plurality of graphical user interfaces, the plurality of application program interfaces and the third-party platforms over a network using one or more communication protocols selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, MQTT, HTTP, Ethernet, 4G, 5G, LTE, LAN, WAN, and Hotspot.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the user interaction module is configured to communicate with the plurality of graphical user interfaces selected from user mobile-based application, web-based portal and / or mobile application of the automobile manufacturer companies, vehicle dealers and battery subscription services.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the electric vehicle interaction module is configured to communicate with graphical user interface of the electric vehicle infotainment system, and the charging station interaction module is configured to communicate with graphical user interface of the web-based portal and / or mobile application of the charging stations.

[0024] According to another embodiment, there is disclosed a method for charging and billing electric vehicles using an application platform framework, the method comprising: registering plurality of electric vehicles and plurality of charging stations at the application platform framework through a registration module; authenticating an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle user at the application platform framework for charging and billing, and also authenticating a selected charging station where the vehicle is brought for charging, through an authentication and transaction module; processing charge data record of a charging session and computing payment for the charging session at a charge data record processing module; and providing information of the charging session to the user and the charging station, and facilitating payment for the charging session at a reporting module.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the method comprises integrating the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, and the reporting module through a plurality of application program interfaces with the plurality of electric vehicles, plurality of charging stations, and a plurality of graphical user interfaces. The method comprises storing information from the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, and the reporting module at a database.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the method comprises identifying the electric vehicle receiving the charge as a guest and the charging station providing the charge as a host, and prompting the user through the graphical user interface to select the electric vehicle as a guest or host. The method further comprises collecting data at the registration module via the one or more application program interfaces for the electric vehicle registration, charging station registration, electric vehicle consumer identification generation, charging station consumer identification genetation, user profile generation, electric vehicle mapping to profile, and charging station mapping to operator.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining the user consent at the authentication and transaction module via the one or more application program interfaces before initiating the charging session by requesting one or more details selected from choice of electric vehicle, choice of charging station, acceptance of tariff rates, validation by PIN, and the like. The method further comprises generating an authentication PIN, a virtual vehicle identification, a charging session identification, and applicable tariff details, at the authentication and transaction module for communication to the user and / or the charging station via the one or more application program interfaces for authentication and initiation of the charging session. According to one embodiment, the method comprises receiving the charge data record including the charging session identification, virtual vehicle identification, charging station identification, smart metering data, etc., from the charging station at the charge data record processing module after completion of the charging session via the one or more application program interfaces.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the method comprises integrating the charge data record processing module with third-party platforms for processing the charge data record and / or computing payment of a charging session. The method further comprises presenting the charge data records of the charging session at the reporting module and facilitating payment via third- party platforms. The method further comprises hosting the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, the reporting module and the database on a server and / or cloud.

[0029] According to yet another embodiment, there is disclosed a method for authenticating an electric vehicle for charging and billing using an application platform framework, the method comprising: selecting the electric vehicle to be charged at a graphical user interface such as a user mobilebased application, where the user interface is configured for displaying list of pre-configured and authenticated vehicles owned and / or operated by the user; receiving details of plurality of charging stations such as kind of energy source (wind energy, solar energy, power grid, etc.), type of charging (fast / slow), proximity, power rating, pricing etc., and selecting and / or reserving a charging station using the user interface; scanning a unique identification such as a bar code or QR code at a selected charging station using the user interface, which unique identification is configured for identifying the particular charging station at the application platform framework; sharing via one or more application program interfaces the selected vehicle information and charging station unique identification with an authentication and transaction module of the application platform framework over a secured wireless connection; authenticating the charging request by entering a PIN received at the user interface from the authentication and transaction module at an infotainment system of the electric vehicle to ensure that the vehicle, the vehicle user and the selected charging station are all authenticated; identifying the electric vehicle, the vehicle user and the user interface, and further authenticating using secured communication and passwords such as mobile password, thumbprint, biometric, etc., generating a virtual vehicle identification after successful authentication, the virtual vehicle identification is a token to be used by the electric vehicle user to authenticate the vehicle at the charging station and further used by the charging station to generate the charge data record of a charging session; sharing the virtual vehicle identification with the authentication and transaction module from the charging station; verifying the virtual vehicle identification with the charging station identification and obtaining tariff and / or incentive information applicable to the electric vehicle; generating a charging session identification after the user accepts the tariff rates, and sending the charging session identification to the charging station via one or more application program interfaces, and also generating a symmetric private key and sending the private key to both the electric vehicle user and the charging station; and sharing the charging session identification at the user interface where the real-time billing information and final billing information is made available to the user.

[0030] The method further comprises securing the communication between the electric vehicle, the charging station, and the application platform framework using security standards selected from Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and / or other similar security standards.

[0031] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0032] The present disclosure will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawings, in which,

[0033] FIGURE 1 illustrates an embodiment of the system for charging and billing electric vehicles according to the present disclosure;

[0034] FIGURE 2 illustrates a first embodiment of an application platform of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0035] FIGURE 3 illustrates hosting of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0036] FIGURE 4 illustrates a first embodiment of a registration module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0037] FIGURE 5 illustrates a first embodiment of EV consumer ID setup process between the automobile manufacturer and the registration module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0038] FIGURE 6 illustrates a first embodiment of EV profile update process between the automobile manufacturer and the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure; FIGURE 7 illustrates a first embodiment of the transition process of the EV from the automobile company to the EV dealer according to the present disclosure;

[0039] FIGURE 8 illustrates a first embodiment of the transition process of the EV from the EV dealer to the end user according to the present disclosure;

[0040] FIGURE 9 illustrates a first embodiment of an authentication and transaction module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0041] FIGURE 10 illustrates a first embodiment of an authentication process of the authentication and transaction module of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0042] FIGURE 11 illustrates a first embodiment of a CDR processing module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure;

[0043] FIGURE 12 illustrates one aspect of the CDR generated by the charging station and shared with the CDR processing module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure; and

[0044] FIGURE 13 illustrates a first embodiment of the reporting module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure.

[0045] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present disclosure describes a system for intelligent charging platform for electric vehicles and method thereof. Several features of the system and method thereof in accordance with exemplary embodiments are set-forth and described in the figures. The description herein after, of the specific embodiments reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that these examples are for illustrating the principles, and that the disclosure is not so limited. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

[0047] It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not for limitation. Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense that is as “including, but not limited to.”

[0048] The present disclosure relates to a new innovation in the field of intelligent charging platform for electric vehicles. The platform provides a multifaceted infrastructure framework. Automobile companies can update the electric vehicles and develop related mobile applications, while the public utility companies or mobility service providers can build the intelligent charging platform. The government agencies can formulate and implement regulations, incentives and associated software infrastructure with respect to manufacture of EVs, their charging and charging tariffs, through the automobile companies or service providers. For the end users, the system offers flexibility in terms of availability of the charging infrastructure and smart billing for the electric vehicles. The present disclosure aims to meet these objectives through the intelligent charging platform described herein with the help of at least one preferred embodiment.

[0049] The present disclosure in addition to the intelligent charging platform for electric vehicles also proposes a framework which can be used for the following objectives:

[0050] ■ Innovative pricing framework for recovery of battery cost through EV charging instead of upfront cost of purchase; and

[0051] ■ Innovative tax framework for recovery of taxes through EV charging instead of upfront tax collection at the time of purchase of the EV.

[0052] The implementation of the system comprising the intelligent charging platform and associated frameworks includes treating the EV as a virtual subscriber and generating an EV consumer ID or unique consumer ID for the EV for electricity or battery leasing subscription. The unique consumer ID identifies the EV as a subscriber of electricity, similar to a residential / home or commercial subscriber (fixed subscriber). The EV, however, acts as a mobile / virtual subscriber which can be charged using a fixed subscriber connection, and shall be billed on the unique consumer ID subscription as per the specific tariffs and incentives for EV. Hence, when the EV is connected to a charging station there are two consumer identification numbers involved, the first is the host consumer ID number belonging to the fixed subscriber and the second is the guest consumer ID number which is the EV consumer ID or mobile / virtual subscriber. Thus, in this platform, when the EV is physically connected to any charging port, it becomes necessary to identify and authenticate both the mobile / virtual subscriber and the fixed subscriber, and establish the host and the guest relationship for accurate metering, pricing & billing. This can be done when the EV consumer ID or unique consumer ID of the EV is independently metered and billed, hence requiring a specific authentication and metering mechanism, which will be described herein.

[0053] The platform is designed to identify and authenticate emergency vehicles and / or government exempted vehicles and charge them according to applicable guidelines even at public or commercial charging stations. This platform is also designed to allow peer-to-peer EV charging (between two EV’s), where the EV providing the charge will be authenticated as the host and the EV receiving the charge will be authenticated as the guest. Further, the intelligent charging platform is also designed to identify reverse transfer of energy (discharge) from the EV to the source, and in such cases identify and authenticate the EV consumer ID as the host ID and the source consumer ID as the guest ID. The present platform is also designed to encompass a possibility of incentivizing EV users and / or commerical establishments for setting up the charging station or using renewable energy sources. The platform of the present disclosure is also designed to provide the user information regarding the energy source used by the charging station, thereby enabling the user to make an informed decision on the choice of the charging station the user wants to use for charging the EV.

[0054] According to the intelligent charging platform framework of the present disclosure:

[0055] ■ Each EV can be independently identified, metered and billed at its applicable tariff rates using the EV consumer ID or unique consumer ID which will be mapped to charging- pricing-billing profile.

[0056] ■ The user can select or reserve the charging station using mobile-based application which will provide details of the charging station such as the power rating, pricing etc. and in addition will also display the kind of energy source (wind power, solar, power grid, etc.) it uses for charging the EV.

[0057] ■ When the EV is plugged to a charging station, the EV consumer ID is authenticated as the guest consumer ID and the charging station consumer ID is authenticated as the host consumer ID. Establishment of the guest-host relationship is crucial at the time of charging for this framework.

[0058] ■ The tariff rates of EV charging, home usage, commercial use, renewable energy incentives, EV incentives, charging station incentives, etc., all can be managed independent from one another using this framework.

[0059] ■ The framework can also be implemented for battery subscription services by the automobile companies in which the cost of battery can be recovered through charging of the EV. According to the present disclosure, the intelligent charging framework requires following set of identifications:

[0060] EV Consumer ID: A unique consumer ID which is assigned to each EV at the time of its manufacturing. The EV consumer ID can be identified by the automobile companies, public utility and mobile operator companies for charging, billing, pricing, incentives, subsidies and subscription purposes.

[0061] Automobile (Manufacturer) Company ID or Dealer (Seller) ID: The company registration number of the manufacturer / dealer can be used as the Automobile Company ID or Dealer ID.

[0062] User ID: The User ID is the government issued unique identification number of the end user of the EV. This number can be the Social Security, Aadhar, Driving License, or other such government recognised number.

[0063] EV ID: The EV ID is in addition to the EV Consumer ID. The EV can also be identified by its chassis number, electric motor identification number, or a similar ID which can be used by the manufacturer to identify the EV.

[0064] CSO ID: Charging Station Operator (CSO) ID for identifying the charging station.

[0065] CS Consumer ID: Charging Station (CS) Consumer ID is the electricity consumer ID assigned to the charging station. The energy consumption from the power grid will be billed against the CS consumer ID.

[0066] The afore-mentioned IDs will be used for describing the system and method of the charging and billing platform framework according to the present disclosure.

[0067] Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates embodiment of the system for charging and billing electric vehicles according to the present disclosure. The system 100 for charging and billing electric vehicles comprises two components - the Intelligent Charging Platform Framework which interacts with the other elements of the ecosystem and the Database.

[0068] The database may contain all information pertaining to the EV, EV consumer ID, etc. The Charge Data Records (CDR) are also stored in the database for billing purpose. During an EV charging session when the EV is connected to a charging station, whether a home / residential charging station or a private / public charging station, the EV is identified as the Guest Consumer ID, and the charging station is identified as the Host Consumer ID. This Guest Consumer ID and Host Consumer ID needs to be communicated as part of the CDR to the PU / MO for billing the users. The EV is authenticated at the Charging Station (CS). The CDR’s are generated by the Charging station (CS) / Charging Station Operator (CSO) for every EV charging session concluded at their station. The authentication process also needs to consider the security and privacy concerns of the EVZEV users.

[0069] The system 100 includes various software interfaces (APIs) which can interface with online portals of automobile companies 102 and dealers 104 to request information and share important communication and updates, which the users / consumers can access using a mobile-based application 108 whether they are using a residential charging station or a private / public charging station 106. The system 100 may also comprise software interfaces to support charging stations 110 or operators thereof to receive and send communications related to availability of charging stations, reservation of charging station, transfer of CDRs from the charging stations to the application platform, updates, etc. The automobile companies 102 will encode each electric vehicle with the unique EV consumer ID at the time of assembling the vehicle. The EV will be able to communicate the EV details such as chassis number (EV ID) and EV consumer ID to the system 100. The EV consumer ID can be used by the public utility or mobility operator for the billing of the EV for the energy consumption on a monthly basis. Alternately, the EV ID can be used by the automobile companies for offering battery subscript! on / leasing services 112 by which the companies can charge the EV users for the subscription / lease based on charging of the EV at the charging stations 106.

[0070] Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a first embodiment of an application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 according to the present disclosure. An aspect of the application platform (referenced by numeral 200) comprises a plurality of software modules which can further comprise multiple components which interpolate with each other. The plurality of software modules comprises a User interaction module, an EV interaction module, a CS interaction module, a Registration module, an Authentication and Transaction module, a CDR (Charge Detail Records) processing module, a Reporting module, and a Database. The user interaction module is an interface between the user and the dealer of the EV which can be a web-based interface or the user mobile-based application. The EV interaction module is an interface between the EV and the other software modules of the platform. The CS interaction module is an interface between the charging station and the other software modules of the platform. The registration module is designed to provide initial registration of each EV and CS to the platform. The details related to the EV and the CS can be updated at the registration module in case of any changes in the ownership, technology or use of the EV or CS. The registration module comprises a plurality of components, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings. The user interaction module can communicate with the online portals of the automobile companies 102, dealers 104, battery subscript! on / leasing service 112, and user mobile-based application 108. The EV interaction module can communicate with the EV infotainment system 101, and the CS interaction module can communicate with the charging station 106. The user interaction module, the EV interaction module and the CS interaction module can communicate with the Registration module, the Authentication and Transaction module, and the CDR processing module. Further, the Registration module, the Authentication and Transaction module, the CDR processing module and the Reporting module all communicate with the Database 103.

[0071] Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings illustrates hosting of the application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect (referenced by numeral 300), the application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 including the plurality of software modules and the database 103 can be hosted on server or a private cloud or a public cloud. The platform can communicate with users, EVs, charging stations, online portals and third-party platforms over a network using one or more communication protocols selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, MQTT, HTTP, Ethernet, 4G, 5G, LTE, LAN, WAN, and Hotspot. In one aspect, the EV infotainment system 101 and the user mobile-based application 108 connect through 4G, 5G, LTE and Wi-Fi networks, whereas the online portals of the automobile companies 102, dealers 104, the battery subscript! on / leasing service 112, the charging stations 106, the charging station operater application 110, and other third-party platforms, can connect through any network selected from Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, MQTT, HTTP, Ethernet, 4G, 5G, LTE, LAN, WAN, and Hotspot.

[0072] Figure 4 illustrates a first embodiment of the registration module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect (referenced by numeral 400), the registration module 114 of the application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 is designed to provide initial registration of each EV and CS to the platform. The registration module comprises a plurality of components, including, an EV data collection component, CS data collection component, EV consumer ID generation and tariff component, CS consumer ID generation and tariff component, EV consumer ID mapping component and CS consumer ID mapping component. The EV data collection component is configured to capture the EV related data for registering the EV with the application platform. The EV data collection component and the EV consumer ID generation and tariff component are mapped with the EV consumer ID mapping component which communicates with the database 103. The EV data collection component is designed to provide the EV consumer ID’s to the automobile manufacturer companies so that the company can encode the ID on a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) or other similar modules on the EV and also configured to collect other identification data of the EV such as chassis number, engine number, battery serial number, battery capacity, etc. The EV data collection component is also configured to collect other data including EV ownership data, user personal and / or demographic data, the subscription service data, etc., from the end users and dealers which data is further added into the database 103.

[0073] The EV data collection component is integrated with the user interaction module and the EV interaction module. The EV data collection component communicates with the applications of the automobile companies through the EV interaction module. The user interaction module further interfaces with the the online portals of the automobile companies 102, dealers 104, battery subscript! on / leasing service 112, and user mobile-based application 108. The EV interaction module further interfaces with the EV infotainment system 101.

[0074] The EV consumer ID generation and tariff component can either independently generate the ID’s and send them to the EV consumer ID mapping component. Alternatively, the EV consumer ID generation and tariff component can integrate with any third-party software implemented by public utility companies which will generate and provide the ID’s as well as the associated charging and subscriptioin tariffs to the application platform. The EV consumer ID mapping component obtains the information from the EV data collection component and updates the database 103 with the relevant information.

[0075] The CS data collection component is integrated with the CS interaction module which further interfaces with the charging station 106. The CS data collection component and the CS consumer ID generation and tariff component are mapped with the CS consumer ID mapping component which communicates with the database 103. Similar to the method of EV registration with the application platform, the charging stations (CS) are also to be registered with the application platform with certain attributes. The CS data collection component is configured to interact with the charging station operators (CSO) through the CS interaction module. The CS interaction module communicates with the CS through a software interface (e.g. an API). Alternately, the CS interaction module can also provide the web interface for CSO to upload certain documents pertaining to the CS. The data pertaining to the CS is collected such as demographic data, power capacity, pricing, types of energy sources, power ratings, etc. This data is then mapped with the CS consumer ID generation and tariff component to assign the unique CS consumer ID to each CS. This CS consumer ID can be displayed on the CS through QR code, bar code or any other similar technology which can be read through a mobile application by the end users. The CS consumer ID mapping component is configured to obtain the information on the charging rates or subsidies / incentives applicable for the CS through the CS consumer ID generation and tariff component. All this data gets updated into the database 103 through the CS consumer ID mapping component.

[0076] The EV consumer ID generation and tariff component and the CS consumer ID generation and tariff component can also communicate with a public utility (PU) company platform 113.

[0077] A detailed process of interaction between the automobile manufacturers, dealers, users, and the application platform of the system of the present disclosure is described herein.

[0078] Figure 5 illustrates a first embodiment of EV consumer ID setup process between the automobile manufacturer and the registration module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect, the EV consumer ID setup process (referenced by numeral 500) comprises: automobile company 102 requesting for a set number of EV consumer ID’s for allotment to the yearly production of the EV’s; the registration module 114 of the application platform allocating the set number of EV consumer ID’s as per the yearly demand of the automobile company 102 through the user interaction module or the EV interaction module, and also allocating that set number of EV consumer ID’s in the name of the automobile company at the module 114; updating the database 103 to reflect the allocation of the set number of EV consumer ID’s to the automobile company portal 102 after the automobile company successfully accepts the set number of EV consumer ID’s. When the EV is owned by the automobile company or the dealer, a default profile is applied for the respective EV and mapped to its consumer ID.

[0079] Figure 6 illustrates a first embodiment of EV profile update process after the EV consumer ID is encoded on the EV according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect, the EV profile update process (referenced by numeral 600) comprises a communication between the automobile company’s portal 102 and the registration module 114 of the application platform of the system after the EV consumer ID is encoded on the EV. The EV consumer ID is allocated and encoded on the EV after the EV is rolled out of the assembly line. The allocated number is communicated to the registration module 114 of the application platform with other EV identification such as EV chassis number, EV motor number, battery number, etc. This way the EV consumer ID is mapped with the EV chassis number at the database 103. Also, a default profile is applied for EV charging, and the same is communicated to the automobile company’s portal 102 so that the EV is ready to get charged at any charging station that is registered with the registration module 114 of the application platform of the present disclosure. The EV profile can be updated at the registration module 114, and thereby at the database 103 (indicated by numeral 115).

[0080] Figure 7 illustrates a first embodiment of the transition process of the EV from the automobile company to the EV dealer according to the present disclosure. The key objective of the transition process is to shift the charging controls of the EV from the automobile company to the EV dealer when the EV transits from the company to the dealer. After the EV dealer receives the EV, the electricity consumption bill for the EV will be sent to the dealer instead of the automobile company.

[0081] According to one aspect, the EV transition process to the dealer and EV consumer ID mapping process (referenced by numeral 700) comprises: the automobile company portal 102 initiating a notification to the registration module 114 of the application platform before the EV transits to the dealer; the registration module 114 will acknowledge the notification, and subsequently the EV will reflect on the dealer’s portal 104 for acceptance; and the dealer will accept the EV showing on the dealer portal 104 to initiate the transition of the EV. Optionally, there can be a mechanism to lock down the EV charging while the EV is transiting from the automobile company to the dealer, and the EV charging can be unlocked by the EV dealer upon completion of the transition and physical delivery of the EV. The database 103 is updated linking the EV consumer ID with the EV dealer.

[0082] Figure 8 illustrates a first embodiment of the transition process of the EV from the EV dealer to the end user according to the present disclosure. The transition process will shift the charging controls of the EV from the EV dealer to the end user after sale of the EV. According to one aspect, the EV transition process to the end user and EV consumer ID mapping process (referenced by numeral 800) comprises: the EV dealer portal 104 initiating a notification to the registration module 114 of the application platform of the sale of the EV to the end user 116; the registration module 114 initiating a KYC (know your customer) request to the user at the user mobile-based application or user web portal provided by the user interaction module; once the KYC request has been complied, the user’s EV charging-billing profile is updated and the EV consumer ID is linked with the user’s profile; a verification confirmation is sent at the dealer’s portal 104 and the user mobile application, the dealer then transfers / handovers the EV to the end user 116; and the user can charge the EV using the application platform. Optionally, there can be a mechanism to lock the EV charging while the EV is transiting from the EV dealer 104 to the end user 116, and the EV charging can be unlocked by the end user 116 through the user mobile-based application upon receiving the physical delivery of the EV. The database 103 is updated linking the end user profie and the EV consumer ID.

[0083] The end user may be additionally required to be associated with the application platform of the system through a government unique identification such as aadhar number, social security number, driving license number etc., which can be used during authentication of the user by the application platform and also allow seamless use of the system when the EV is transferred from one user to another.

[0084] Upon completion of the registration of the EV and the CS at the application platform of the system, the database comprises the following information: i. EV data comprising information selected from EV consumer ID or EV ID, vehicle chassis number, vehicle engine number, battery capacity, battery serial number, subscription service, incentive and user profile. ii. CS data comprising demographic data, technology at the CS (slow charging / fast charging), power ratings, energy sources, power capacity, commercial rates and / or incentives rates.

[0085] The database 103 is updated with the above information which can be used by the authentication and transaction module and the CDR processing module.

[0086] The authentication and transaction module employs the following concepts for secure authentication and transaction: i. User mobile application: The mobile application is used by the user to communicate with the application platform. ii. Virtual Vehicle ID (VVID): The VVID is randomly generated and assigned to the appropriate EV by the authentication module when the user makes a charging request. The authentication module pushes the record of the VVID against the applicable EV Consumer ID into the database. Hence, the real guest (EV) consumer ID is not visible to CS. When the CS generates the CDR and send it to the application platform, the CDR reflects the VVID instead of the EV Consumer ID. The CDR processing module substitutes the VVID with the correct EV Consumer ID for permanent retention of the CDR which is then updated into the database. iii. Symmetric private key: The key is generated by the EV interaction module which acts as the symmetric key and is used to encrypt the communication between the EV and the CS. iv. PIN-based authorization: The authorization is used to obtain user consent to begin charging of the EV. v. Charging Session ID (CH-SID): The CH-SID uniquely identifies every charging session and it is tagged to the CDR (charge data record) of the respective charging session.

[0087] Figure 9 illustrates a first embodiment of the authentication and transaction module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect (referenced by numeral 900), the authentication and transaction module of the application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 is configured to authenticate the EV and the user to the platform for charging and billing.

[0088] The authentication and transaction module comprises an Authentication Orchestrator (AO). The authentication orchestrator is a core component of the authentication and transaction module which is interfaced with a plurality of components including PIN generator, VVID generator, CH- SID generator and Host-Guest negotiator. The Host-Guest negotiator further interfaces with Tariff and Incentive Broker component which is designed to either obtain information from the database 103 or can further be integrated with third-party platforms.

[0089] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the authentication process is configured to meet all security and privacy concerns of the EVZEV users. The authentication process for establishing communication between the EV and the EV interaction module can employ Direct Anonymous Attestation (DAA) which is a remote authentication and attestation process. This process involves a third party issuer of the public and private keys. The host, which in this case is the EV, can have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) which needs to sign up with the issuer for obtaining the relevant keys. The existing security standards such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) or other similar security standards can also be used for establishing the communication between the EV and the EV interaction module. The communication between the CS and the CS interaction module is also established in a similar manner. The PEST generator component enables mapping the right user with the right EV through authentication using a PEST (private identification number) which can be a 4 digit or 6 digit number or any other similar method.

[0090] The VVID generator component is configured to provide the virtual ID’s which are temporarily generated ID’s for establishing the communication between the EV and the CS without revealing the true ID of the EV. This will mask the EV consumer ID from the CS which helps protect the privacy of the end user. The VVID is communicated to both the EV and the CS through the respective interaction modules.

[0091] The CH-SID generator component is configured to provide the session ID for the charging session. Each charging session has its unique ID which is embeded in every CDR (charge data record) that is generated.

[0092] The Host-Guest negotiator component allows the user to select the mode of operation. The options are presented to the user through the AO component and the user interaction module so that the user can make appropriate choices of mode of operation, selection of power ratings, associated tariffs and the like. The Tariff and Incentive Broker is configured to check the rates and charges for the EV charging and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) scenarios from either the database or from the third- party platforms. This platform could be an application hosted and offered by the utility companies or mobility operators.

[0093] Figure 10 illustrates a first embodiment of the authentication process of the authentication and transaction module of the system according to the present disclosure.

[0094] According to one aspect (referenced by numeral 1000), the authentication process comprises the following steps:

[0095] 1. At the start of the process, the EV user selects the EV they want to charge using the user interface (mobile application) (1, 2 or 3) offered by the user interaction module. The user interface will display the list of pre-configured and authenticated EVs owned / operated by the user. The user also selects whether the EV is the host or the guest. The V2G (vehicle to grid) scenarios will require the users to configure the EV as host as well.

[0096] 2. The user receives details of plurality of charging stations such as kind of energy source (wind energy, solar energy, power grid, etc.), type of charging (fast / slow), proximity, power rating, pricing etc., and selects and / or reserves a charging station using the user interface. 3. When the user takes the EV to the charging station, the user interface of the charging station can display either a bar code or QR code or some other kind of unique identification which will identify the particular charging station.

[0097] 4. The user can scan the bar code or QR code of the charging station where the user wants to charge the EV at the user interface.

[0098] 5. The user interface will share the selected vehicle information and charging station ID (4) to the authentication and transaction module over a secured wireless connection. This communication can be encrypted by TLS or other similar security standard implemented by the public utility or mobility operator.

[0099] 6. The authentication and transaction module will send the 4-digit or 6-digit PIN at the user interface (5).

[0100] 7. The user will enter the received PIN into the infotainment system of the EV which ensures that the user is using the right EV and wants to charge the selected EV at the selected charging station (6).

[0101] 8. The EV will then send the entered PIN to the authentication and transaction module over a secured communication channel (7). The communication between the EV and the system is secured with required certificates and security standards such as TLS, SHA, SSL, etc. This communication does not use the network of the charging station but instead uses the on-board SIM with 4G / 5G / LTE / Wi-Fi connectivity. Hence, the charging station is unaware of this communication between the user, EV and the public utility / mobility operator.

[0102] 9. The authentication and transaction module can identify the EV, the user, and the user interface, and can also authenticate using secured communication through required certificates and passwords such as mobile password / thumbprint, etc. Based on the successful authentication, the charging and billing system generates the VVID (a virtual vehicle ID) which is form of a token to be used by the EV to authenticate itself on the charging station and used by the charging station to generate the CDR (charge data records) of the charging session (8,9). The VVID is not permanently mapped to any particular EV and a new VVID can be generated every time the user makes a request for charging the EV. Hence, the charging station cannot particularly identify the EV or EV consumer ID based on the VVID. This also ensures that the privacy of the EV and its user remains protected from the charging station.

[0103] 10. The authentication and transaction module sends the VVID to the EV over a secured and protected communication channel over the 4G / 5G / LTE / Wi-Fi network (or any similar means) (10). The EV provides the WID as its own identity with the charging station (11, 12). In this case, the true identity of the EV remains hidden from the charging station, instead a random virtual ID generated by the authentication and transaction module is communicated with the charging station. With this mechanism, the privacy of the EV and its user is protected, and it is not possible to track the movement patterns of the user by observing the memory cache of the charging stations.

[0104] 11. The charging station will share the VVID with the authentication and transaction module over a secure channel for final verification and obtaining the tariff and / or incentives information applicable for the EV (13, 14).

[0105] 12. The authentication and transaction module of the application platform verifies the VVID received from the charging station along with the charging station ID. The AO (Authentication Orchestrator) interacts with the user to allow the user to select the appropriate host and guest relationship and accept the tariff rates.

[0106] 13. The CH-SID generator will generate the charging session ID (CH-SID) and forward the same to the charging station (15) via the AO and the CS interaction module. Along with the CH-SID, the AO also generates a symmetric private key and sends the private key to both the EV and the charging station.

[0107] 14. The charging station and the EV then use the CH-SID to communicate the charging parameters and can encrypt the communication between the charging station and the EV with the symmetric private key shared by the AO.

[0108] 15. The authentication and transaction module also shares the CH-SID at the user interface where the real-time billing information as well as final billing information will be visible (16) to the user, as shown in Figure 10.

[0109] The authentication and transaction module and the authentication process thereof ensure that the user consent is obtained at the start of the charging session. The user consent can be obtained for choice of EV, choice of charging station, and approval to begin the charging, by entering and validating the PIN generated by the application platform of the present disclosure.

[0110] After the charging is initiated, the database is updated with the following information: EV consumer ID or EV ID, CS ID, VVID, CH-SID and other attributes of the the charging session including host and guest relation between the EV ID and the CS ID, energy source preference, amount of energy transfer scheduled, power ratings for energy transfer, price rates of the transfer, and the like. Figure 11 illustrates a first embodiment of the CDR processing module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect (referenced by numeral 1100), the CDR processing module of the application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 is configured to process the charge data record (CDR) and compute the payment. The CDR is generated by the charging station after the charging session and shared with the CDR processing module of the platform.

[0111] The CDR processing module comprises a CDR capture and processing component and a payment computation component.

[0112] The elements of the CDR which are generated by the charging station include the CH-SID, VVID, charging station ID, smart metering data, etc. This data is generally sent by the charging station to the CDR processing module with the CDR after completion of the charging session through the CS interaction module. The CDR may also be received from the EV’s on-board smart metering modules through the EV interaction module.

[0113] The CDR capture and processing component receives the data from the CS which contains the VVID information and does not contain the EV consumer ID. The CDR capture and processing component is configured to add the EV consumer ID to the CDR record for the charging session. The database 103 is updated with the information from the CDR capture and processing component and the payment computation component, which information can be used by the CDR processing module for future processing. The CDR processing module can further be integrated with third-party platforms.

[0114] Figure 12 illustrates one aspect of the CDR (referenced by numeral 1200) generated by the charging station (CS) and shared with the CDR processing module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure. The CDR is generated by the CS after completion of the charging session. The elements of the CDR which are generated by the CS include CH-SID, VVID, CSID / CSMSID, smart metering data, etc. This data is shared from the CS to the CDR capture and processing component of the application platform. The VVID is a temporarily generated authentication token only for the authentication purpose. Hence, the VVID read from the CDR received from the CS is either substituted with the EV consumer ID or the CDR is appended with the EV consumer ID and processed for billing. Figure 12 shows the VVID getting mapped to the EV consumer ID as the guest consumer ID. Once the CDR is updated, it is sent to the database 103 for storing. The CDR stored in the database 103 is used by the payment computation component for billing purposes.

[0115] Further, the home charging station and the public / private charging stations may be enabled with a network connectivity (enabled with SIM or local Wi-Fi), capability to authenticate the EV as per the authentication process, smart metering capability, CDR generation and transfer of the CDR to public utility / mobile operator, functionality to display the QR code or similar identification which is required for initiating the authentication with charging and billing system, displaying the CDR details in simple format on the user interface at the end of each charging session, displaying the historical charging session details on the user interface, etc.

[0116] Figure 13 illustrates a first embodiment of the reporting module of the application platform of the system according to the present disclosure. According to one aspect (referenced by numeral 1300), the reporting module of the application platform of the intelligent charging system 100 is configured to provide current and historical information of the charging sessions to the user and the charging station operator (CSO). The reporting module comprises two components, viz., presentation component and payment component. The presentation component is integrated with the user interaction module, the EV interaction module, and the CS interaction module. The presentation component provides the CDR related information by fetching it from the database 103 while it presents the payment related information through the payment component via third- party platforms.

[0117] According to one aspect of the intelligent charging platform of the system of the present disclosure, the various elements of the database of the system and the data / information stored therein and used by the various modules mentioned above is described herein:

[0118] 1. EV Consumer ID - EV Profile database:

[0119] This database stores data / information related to the EVs. The information comprises EV consumer ID, EV ID (such as chassis number), user KYC details, charging rates applicable for the EV (slow charging rates, fast charging rates, etc.), billing information (such as the email address, mobile number(s) for communicating the bills, bill cycle, payment methods, etc.), and the like.

[0120] 2. Authentication database:

[0121] The authentication database stores key information used by the authentication and transaction module as well as the information on authentication attempts whether they are successful or failed, etc. The authentication database comprises CH-SID, EV consumer ID, VVID, event database of authentication attempts, and the like.

[0122] 3. CDR database:

[0123] The CDR database stores the CDRs received from the CS. In case of EVs equipped with backward compatibility and charged at old tech CS, the CDRs can also be received from the EV’s on-board smart metering modules. The CDR database comprises CH-SID, host consumer ID, guest consumer ID, VVID, smart metering data, EV consumer ID, CSMSID, etc.

[0124] 4. CS database:

[0125] The CS database stores information about the CS such as CSMSI, type of energy source (renewable, etc.), commercial rates (e.g. charging rates, subsidy / incentives, etc.), type(s) of charging, KYC details of the CSO, billing information (such as the email address, mobile number(s) for communicating the bills, bill cycle, payment methods, etc.), and the like.

[0126] Embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable over a wide number of uses and other embodiments may be developed beyond the embodiment discussed heretofore. Only the most preferred embodiments and their uses have been described herein for purpose of example, illustrating the advantages over the prior art obtained through the present disclosure. The disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments or their specified uses. Thus, the forms of the disclosure described herein are to be taken as illustrative only and other embodiments may be selected without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be understood that additional changes and modifications, within the scope of the disclosure, will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and that modifications to the method described herein may fall within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A system for charging and billing electric vehicles, the system comprising an application platform framework for charging and billing plurality of electric vehicles at plurality of charging stations, characterized in that, the system comprises: a registration module configured to enable registration of the plurality of electric vehicles and the plurality of charging stations at the application platform framework; an authentication and transaction module configured to authenticate an electric vehicle and electric vehicle user at the application platform framework for charging and billing, and further configured to authenticate a selected charging station where the vehicle is brought for charging; a charge data record processing module configured to process charge data record of a charging session and compute payment for the charging session; and a reporting module configured to provide information of the charging session to the user and the charging station, and facilitate payment for the charging session; and wherein, the system is configured to integrate the plurality of modules through plurality of application program interfaces with the plurality of electric vehicles, the plurality of charging stations, and plurality of graphical user interfaces.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of application program interfaces includes a user interaction module, an electric vehicle interaction module and a charging station interaction module.

3. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of graphical user interfaces includes user interfaces for integrating the user interaction module, the electric vehicle interaction module and / or the charging station interaction module with one or more entity selected from the group consisting of electric vehicle users, electric vehicle infotainment system, charging stations, automobile manufacturer companies, vehicle dealers and battery subscription services.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system can be integrated with third-party platforms, wherein the third-party can be government body, public utility company, power supply company, private entity, mobility operator company, and the like.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module and the reporting module provide their respective information to a database.

6. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the registration module comprises a plurality of components for collecting data via the one or more application program interfaces for the electric vehicle registration, charging station registration, electric vehicle consumer identification generation, charging station consumer identification genetation, user profile generation, electric vehicle mapping to profile, and charging station mapping to operator.

7. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the authentication and transaction module is configured to obtain the user consent via the one or more application program interfaces before initiating the charging session by requesting one or more details selected from choice of electric vehicle, choice of charging station, acceptance of tariff rates, validation by PIN, and the like.

8. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the authentication and transaction module is configured to generate an authentication PIN, a virtual vehicle identification, a charging session identification, and applicable tariff details, which are communicated to the user and / or the charging station through the one or more application program interfaces for authentication and initiation of the charging session.

9. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the charge data record processing module is configured to receive from the charging station via the one or more application program interfaces the charge data record including the charging session identification, virtual vehicle identification, charging station identification, smart metering data, etc., after completion of the charging session.

10. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the charge data record processing module is configured to integrate with third-party platforms for processing the charge data record and / or computing payment of a charging session.

11. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reporting module is configured to present charge data records of the charging session and facilitate payment via third-party platforms.

12. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, the reporting module and the database are hosted on a server and / or cloud.

13. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system is configured to communicate with the electric vehicle user, the electric vehicle, the charging station, the plurality of graphical user interfaces, the plurality of application program interfaces and the third-party platforms over a network using one or more communication protocols selected from a group consisting of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRa, MQTT, HTTP, Ethernet, 4G, 5G, LTE, LAN, WAN, and Hotspot.

14. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the user interaction module is configured to communicate with the plurality of graphical user interfaces selected from user mobile-based application, web-based portal and / or mobile application of the automobile manufacturer companies, vehicle dealers and battery subscription services.

15. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electric vehicle interaction module is configured to communicate with graphical user interface of the electric vehicle infotainment system.

16. The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging station interaction module is configured to communicate with graphical user interface of the webbased portal and / or mobile application of the charging stations.

17. A method for charging and billing electric vehicles using an application platform framework, the method comprising: registering plurality of electric vehicles and plurality of charging stations at the application platform framework through a registration module; authenticating an electric vehicle and an electric vehicle user at the application platform framework for charging and billing, and also authenticating a selected charging stationwhere the vehicle is brought for charging, through an authentication and transaction module; processing charge data record of a charging session and computing payment for the charging session at a charge data record processing module; and providing information of the charging session to the user and the charging station, and facilitating payment for the charging session at a reporting module.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, which comprises integrating the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, and the reporting module through a plurality of application program interfaces with the plurality of electric vehicles, plurality of charging stations, and a plurality of graphical user interfaces.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, which comprises storing information from the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, and the reporting module at a database.

20. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises identifying the electric vehicle receiving the charge as a guest and the charging station providing the charge as a host, and prompting the user through the graphical user interface to select the electric vehicle as a guest or host.

21. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises collecting data at the registration module via the one or more application program interfaces for the electric vehicle registration, charging station registration, electric vehicle consumer identification generation, charging station consumer identification genetation, user profile generation, electric vehicle mapping to profile, and charging station mapping to operator.

22. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises obtaining the user consent at the authentication and transaction module via the one or more application program interfaces before initiating the charging session by requesting one or more details selected from choice of electric vehicle, choice of charging station, acceptance of tariff rates, validation by PIN, and the like.

23. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises generating an authentication PIN, a virtual vehicle identification, a charging session identification, and applicable tariff details, at the authentication and transaction module for communication to the user and / or the charging station via the one or more application program interfaces for authentication and initiation of the charging session.

24. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises receiving the charge data record including the charging session identification, virtual vehicle identification, charging station identification, smart metering data, etc., from the charging station at the charge data record processing module after completion of the charging session via the one or more application program interfaces.

25. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises integrating the charge data record processing module with third-party platforms for processing the charge data record and / or computing payment of a charging session.

26. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises presenting the charge data records of the charging session at the reporting module and facilitating payment via third-party platforms.

27. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which comprises hosting the registration module, the authentication and transaction module, the charge data record processing module, the reporting module and the database on a server and / or cloud.

28. A method for authenticating an electric vehicle for charging and billing using an application platform framework, the method comprising: selecting the electric vehicle to be charged at a graphical user interface such as a user mobile-based application, where the user interface is configured for displaying list of preconfigured and authenticated vehicles owned and / or operated by the user; receiving details of plurality of charging stations such as kind of energy source (wind energy, solar energy, power grid, etc.), type of charging (fast / slow), proximity, power rating, pricing etc., and selecting and / or reserving a charging station using the user interface; scanning a unique identification such as a bar code or QR code at the selected charging station using the user interface, which unique identification is configured for identifying the particular charging station at the application platform framework;sharing via one or more application program interfaces the selected vehicle information and charging station unique identification with an authentication and transaction module of the application platform framework over a secured wireless connection; authenticating the charging request by entering a PIN received at the user interface from the authentication and transaction module at an infotainment system of the electric vehicle to ensure that the vehicle, the vehicle user and the selected charging station are all authenticated; identifying the electric vehicle, the vehicle user and the user interface, and further authenticating using secured communication and passwords such as mobile password, thumbprint, biometric, etc., generating a virtual vehicle identification after successful authentication, the virtual vehicle identification is a token to be used by the electric vehicle user to authenticate the vehicle at the charging station and further used by the charging station to generate the charge data record of a charging session; sharing the virtual vehicle identification with the authentication and transaction module from the charging station; verifying the virtual vehicle identification with the charging station identification and obtaining tariff and / or incentive information applicable to the electric vehicle; generating a charging session identification after the user accepts the tariff rates, and sending the charging session identification to the charging station via one or more application program interfaces, and also generating a symmetric private key and sending the private key to both the electric vehicle user and the charging station; and sharing the charging session identification at the user interface where the real-time billing information and final billing information is made available to the user.

29. The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, which comprises securing the communication between the electric vehicle, the charging station, and the application platform framework using security standards selected from Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and / or other similar security standards.

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