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By Jesse Berst

HomePlug is a standard for communicating over the powerlines in homes and businesses. In the home area network (HAN) world, it has been the overlooked third wheel, trailing ZigBee and WiFi.

But the protocol should get a real lift from the recent announcement that it is now the agreed standard among several car makers for the fast charging of electric vehicles.

We told you last week that seven of the world's leading auto manufacturers have signed on to use a common EV charging system. (Ford and GM just joined. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen had already signed on in June.)

As EVs proliferate, they will bring HomePlug along. Once inside the premise, HomePlug can hope to convince customers to use HomePlug for other things, including home energy management, broadband access, and the streaming of video and music.

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.

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