The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $7 million in funding for Michigan-based cybersecurity company The Dream Team LLC (DTLLC) to develop a first-of-its-kind infrastructure that protects the electric grid from cyber-attacks on electric vehicles (EV) and electric vehicle charging systems.

Once developed, testing of the electric roadways and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology will be conducted at the world-renowned American Center for Mobility (ACM).

The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy contribution of a $4,712,949 grant was supplemented by an industry-match contribution of $2,349,135, which can include discounted rates, provided equipment, provided asset availability (time/use).

The grant was secured through the combined efforts of DTLLC, the American Center for Mobility and the state of Michigan with additional funding coming from partners including DTE Energy, NextEnergy, University of Michigan Dearborn and Wayne State University among others.

The convergence of power and automotive and more broadly, power and IoT, will help us realize unprecedented new economic opportunities but will also introduce new risks. Dream Team is committed to developing and transitioning technology that improves the safety, security and reliability of the grid by changing the way that power is delivered, bought and sold. We are on a mission with the DOE and its leading national laboratories, industry and academia to democratize access to new energy markets and to de-risk investments and widespread adoption of renewable and sustainable energy systems. We could not be more excited that this journey begins here in Michigan.

—Duncan Woodbury, CEO of DTLLC

The technology will be applicable to both existing EV charging systems and new technologies like in-motion or dynamic wireless EV charging. By developing approaches to protect these technologies while they are in their infancy, DTLLC will help demonstrate how cyber technology can be integrated with charging systems to protect the electric grid from highly sophisticated adversaries.

With DTLLC’s technology, Michigan will be on track to have the first cyber secure, fully-electric roadways, V2G and utility-managed smart charging that improves the experience and reduces the cost of the EV for the consumer while bringing new job opportunities for R&D and transportation professionals.

The American Center for Mobility will provide a test bed to demonstrate cyber systems are properly developed and implemented, to ensure systems are hardened from attacks, able to detect attacks in real time, and can take mitigation actions to limit attacks on the distribution grid, the charging network, and the PEVs.