What is the shared goal among all electric vehicle (EV) charger owners? Ultimately, the aim is to have the charging stations operate without failures and at the lowest possible running cost. This is where the EV charging station management system (CSMS) enters to minimize the total cost of ownership (TCO). An EV CSMS refers to specialized platforms that monitor, control, and optimize EV charging stations. These software solutions ensure a seamless charging and operating experience for EV drivers, site owners, and operators.
The Pressing Need for EV Charging Management
CSMSs connect the physical chargers to a centralized cloud-based management platform, serving as a fundamental backbone for charging infrastructure in electrification. These software solutions, also known as charge point management systems or charge point operator (CPO) platforms, contribute to key operational aspects:
Analytics: Monitoring charging sessions and which stations have been faulted allows for informed decisions with real demand evidence of which depots or chargers have the most and least revenue, rather than theoretical demands.
User account management: Keeping a membership database and tracking the different authentication methods for secure access
Intelligent energy management: Designing charger schedules, preventing the grid overload at peak hours through smart load balancing in DC fast chargers.
Who can benefit from CSMS?
Fleet operators can rely on the charging software to optimize charging schedules, monitor vehicle and charger status, which is crucial to maintaining smoothness in fleet operations.
Residential property managers use charging software to manage and allocate charging spots among residents, handle billing, and ensure fair access.
Commercial property owners benefit from offering EV charging as an amenity, for which CSMS will help manage these stations, providing efficient customer service.
Beyond these stakeholders, any CPO, transportation hubs, and others who gain from managing EV service would also benefit from CSMS. More than the site managers, the benefits extend to residents of areas near operators using the management software, because the smart energy distribution helps prevent grid overload.
What makes CSMS platforms efficient?
Combining several management systems into one with analytics can cause disorganization, but a simple user interface design makes the platform much easier to utilize efficiently. Advantageous features of CSMS platforms include:
Real-time charger status depicts which and how many chargers are available, charging, or faulted, among other statuses.
Comprehensive data, as in viveEV’s management platform, with calculations of total sales, total charging amounts, and total charging count, aided by visual data representation. Owners can easily get a performance overview.
Detailed database management, potentially including admin accounts, vehicles, various partners, membership, charger statuses, contracts, and failure tracking.
Offering these systems, viveEV management platform acts as an alert monitor that immediately shows issues that may arise through comprehensive databases. This allows for quick fixes that keep repair costs away. Moreover, the revenue analytics with graphs render future choices on charger type and locations easier by understanding which EV charging station deployment is efficient based on current demand.
At viveEV, we are committed to providing a reliable EV CSMS alongside reliable DCFCs boasting industry-leading uptimes. Check out viveEV.com for more information.