‘EV charging stations susceptible to cyber attacks,' says Nitin Gadkari

The Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, has said that as electric vehicles become more popular, it is important to recognize that electric vehicle charging stations are also susceptible to cyber-attacks and security incidents, just like any other technological application.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has received reports of vulnerabilities in products and applications related to electric vehicle charging stations, according to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's written reply to Lok Sabha on Thursday.

"The government is fully cognizant and aware of various cyber security threats and is actively taking steps to combat the issue of hacking," Gadkari said.

The number of cyber security incidents tracked by CERT-In has been on the rise, with 2,08,456 in 2018, 3,94,499 in 2019, 11,58,208 in 2020, 14,02,809 in 2021, and 13,91,457 in 2022. This highlights the need for proper cyber security measures to be implemented in the electric vehicle industry to protect against potential cyber-attacks.

In a separate query, the road transport and highways minister stated that the ministry has disbursed Rs 147 lakh as compensation to victims of hit-and-run cases in the current fiscal year till February. The Compensation to Victims of Hit and Run Motor Accidents Scheme, 2022 has been notified by the ministry to provide increased compensation to victims of hit-and-run accidents. The scheme offers Rs 50,000 in case of grievous injury and Rs 2,00,000 in case of death, along with a detailed procedure for availing compensation.

In another response, Gadkari revealed that the ministry has set a higher target of 12,200 km for the construction of National Highways during the current financial year as compared to the previous three financial years. However, the progress of 19 projects costing Rs 21,864 crore has been delayed due to delays in land acquisition.

(With Agency inputs)