The Charging Experience: The Critical Role of EV Charging Software and Technology
Electric vehicle sales are breaking records in 2024, with EVs becoming a common sight on roads across the country. This surge in adoption has created an urgent need for more charging infrastructure to keep pace with demand.
Fortunately, we're seeing substantial investment and growth in this area. The federal government is providing significant support through programs like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) and the 30C tax credit. At the state and city levels, financial incentives and streamlined permitting processes are helping to accelerate charging station installations. As a result, the U.S. now boasts over 160,000 charging stations, including a mix of private, public, and paid options. This rapidly expanding network is essential for supporting the EV revolution and making electric vehicles a practical choice for more drivers.
EV Drivers might be looking for the hardware–the physical charging station and cable to connect to–but the management software running each station is arguably more important to a successful charging station. Even more so when it comes to scaling your EV charging business and future-proofing it against competitors.
This blog will dive into why software is essential to any EV charging business.
What is Charging Management Software?
EV Charging Management Software enables charging operators and e-Mobility service providers to manage all aspects of EV charging. These specialized applications or platforms are designed to monitor, control, and optimize EV charging stations.
Some locations with charging stations installed are pure hardware without any smart technology. You might see the cost of charging reflected in your utility bill, but there is no data collected, and the connection itself does not need to be managed. It’s either providing power or not.
By contrast, smart EV charging is more complex and sophisticated. Access needs to be granted, payments processed, and performance monitored. The station hardware cannot facilitate these functions. That falls to the software running the hardware.
On its own, the charging station hardware delivers one commodity: electricity. Powered by software, each connection becomes “smart,” generating valuable data on:
The power drawn from each station, and how that translates into cost/revenue and profit
Historic usage reports for each station, including uptime, peak periods, etc.
Cost of materials (i.e. electricity at peak vs off-peak periods)
Customer credentials, for example, where authorized access is required
Troubleshooting events
Interoperability: A shared language for EV chargers
For businesses that want to offer EV charging stations to their customers, such as retail and hospitality, entertainment, gyms and more, it’s the management software that makes the service possible. These businesses might not have the time or skills to operate stations, but the software can integrate into their existing systems seamlessly.
Thanks to Open Charge Point Protocols (OCPP), management software providers like EV Connect can integrate solutions that are able to “talk” to charging hardware of all types.
Software Unlocks These Possibilities
The software that runs each EV charging station delivers important benefits for both drivers and operators. For the former, it’s the digital face of the company providing the service, enabling the driver to find a station, check the pricing, make a payment, and rate their experience.
For the operator, the software is the engine behind the business model. By monitoring access, pricing and performance, it elevates each charging station from an outlet providing power to a source of revenue and valuable data.
Learn how software enables the following functions.
Optimize electricity load management
Your favorite fast food restaurant uses load management, but you won’t notice it while it’s working perfectly. At peak times, staff levels are increased and menu items are prepped in advance. Supplies are delivered on strict schedules to minimize shortfall or overstock.
The same applies to the power grid. Smart software allows for load shedding and load balancing between the EV charging station and the grid. In short, smart load management ensures that the operation is drawing as much power as it needs (and only what it needs) during off-peak hours, and distributing it to each station according to demand.
Provide detailed analytics and reporting
The software essentially serves as the “brain” of the charging station. In real-time, it collects essential business data on power supply and consumption, uptime, customer profile and more. In turn this intelligence allows the operator to optimize a profitable business model. Without the software, there is still a vital service, but not necessarily a successful business.
Enable flexible pricing models
Let’s start by pointing out that without software, there is no secure payment processing. Charging stations don’t accept cash. Using the data each station generates, the software can create automated rules for enabling dynamic pricing and enhance the experience of the most profitable customers.
Rather than offering flat-rate pricing, rates can vary according to the time of day to avoid bottlenecks.
Operators can choose to price their supply by volume, hour, or through membership.
Opens up the possibility of giving customers discounts or loyalty rewards.
Improve driver experience
Without the software to link each station to the network, drivers wouldn’t be able to find a power outlet on their route, check price and availability, or rate their experience. EV drivers are far more likely to use apps to search for stations because they have to plan their route in advance. It’s the software that integrates the individual station into the broader network.
Don’t Overlook These Back-end Benefits
Smart software also covers some important operator features that customers won’t necessarily be aware of.
Troubleshooting
Uptime is one of the key metrics drivers use to choose a charging point. Operators depend on the software to stay on top of station performance. It’s essential for spotting problems, running testing and regular maintenance, and upgrading security patches remotely.
Update to the latest version
From a distance, an operator can bring new stations onto the network, add new features, or change pricing across the entire series at the touch of a button. Because the software integrates with other CRM software, the operator can also let customers know about these changes via email or SMS.
Innovation can future-proof Investment
By scaling the software, operators can build out a charging infrastructure that is flexible, future-proofed, and equipped to deliver the functionality that drivers and station operators demand. The healthy competition between EV charging management software providers means that there will always be new features available. Just as the nature of payments has changed a lot in a relatively short time — from checks to biometrics — so EV charging will evolve, and it’s the software that adapts.
A Proven Technology Platform For Your Business
We’re not arguing that software is more important than hardware, not least because the two complement rather than compete with each other. There is a strong case, however, for saying that once the hardware is installed, it’s the software that grows the business. For that reason, station operators need to choose a partner that sets the market standard, stays ahead of trends, and demonstrates a strong track record of performance.
Learn the ins and outs of EV Connect’s EV charging solutions today.