Australian electric vehicle owners have been warned that some smart chargers using artificial intelligence could bypass vehicle safety systems and potentially cause catastrophic battery damage or house fires.
Experts warn hacked EV chargers could damage cars and homes
Hyundai Australia says certain vehicle-to-grid chargers are capable of hacking electric cars not designed to discharge power back into the energy grid, raising concerns over safety, warranties and home insurance coverage.
Scott Nargar, senior manager of future mobility and government relations at Hyundai Australia, said some chargers are exploiting software loopholes to force vehicles into discharging electricity during peak demand periods.
He told RAC: “We’ve witnessed this across a number of brands, where they’re achieving a discharge with cars that were never designed for a discharge, which means they’re going into the system, they’re hacking the car systems.”
Vehicle-to-grid technology allows EV owners to sell electricity stored in their car batteries back to the grid in exchange for money, similar to rooftop solar systems. However, Nargar warned some vehicles are not equipped for the process.
He added: “The vehicle doesn’t know it’s in a discharge state.”
Nargar added that testing showed some AI-powered chargers repeatedly attempted to connect to vehicles until they bypassed built-in protections.
He said: “The first couple of times it was rejected and the car shut off straight away. Then I get 10 seconds out of the car, then 20 seconds, and three minutes, and eventually it hacks itself around the car systems.”
Experts warn bypassing battery safeguards could lead to overheating, battery failure and expensive repairs not covered under warranty.
Despite the concerns, vehicle-to-grid technology is growing rapidly in Australia as energy companies promote it as a way for households to generate income and support renewable energy demand.
Amber Energy claims one customer earned $700 during a period of peak electricity volatility by selling power back to the grid.
Hyundai Australia is now lobbying for stricter national charging standards, warning some chargers already available on the market could put vehicles, homes and electrical infrastructure at risk.
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