Smart EV charging requires refreshed communications protocols

The e-mobility movement’s success depends on more than simply installing chargers at random and hoping they are used. Much work is going into deciding where they are placed, what kind of charging speeds they provide and how many vehicles they might be able to serve during the day.

The conversation around e-roaming is also growing louder, and particularly in Europe where efforts are underway to make charging payments seamless and standardised. As with almost every other area of the automotive industry, software is playing a leading role. More specifically, the industry is turning towards cloud platforms that, if used en masse, should allow for more advanced charging strategies.

An open-loop ecosystem

Different chargers, charging protocols and backend systems—plus the requirement for many different membership accounts—have created a scenario where public charging can be a lucky dip. Either it works first time, or there are many hurdles to jump through to get going. There are also