Global EV and plug-in hybrid sales (BEV+PHEV) topped 14 million units in 2023 (EV Volumes) and are projected to surpass 45 million by 2030 (IEA). Those vehicles are hungry for electrons, driving growth in charging stations and the infrastructure to support them.
EV chargers are more than just high-current electrical outlets. The beating heart of EV charging lies in the software and management systems that enable this dynamic market. EV charging software manages much more than just topping up the battery in an electric vehicle. Charging infrastructure software is key to operations, billing, energy management and beyond.
EV charging and charging infrastructure software falls into three general categories:
- Vehicle-based software – EVs, like computers and smart appliances, rely on software to manage battery lifecycles and inform drivers about remaining charge, driving range, location of charging stations en route, etc. This software is typically developed by EV manufacturers (OEMs) or sourced through a supply chain from specialized vendors (Tier 1 / Tier 2) and built into EVs by dedicated integrators or by OEMs themselves.
- Charging-point software – EVs can draw charging current from “dumb” electric outlets. More advanced, smart charging stations accommodate the characteristics of different vehicle batteries, enable charging sessions and communicate with back-end/infrastructure software hosted in the cloud for more advanced capabilities. Charging-point software has traditionally been developed and integrated by charging system manufacturers. To save development and maintenance costs, and to leverage emerging standards, charging station manufacturers increasingly turn to EV ecosystem partners.
- Back-end/infrastructure software – “behind the scenes” software stacks are essential to the successful operation, evolution and growth of the EV marketplace. This software facilitates installing new charging stations, managing charging sessions, regulating draw from the grid, handling different billing scenarios and processing payment for charging, and most importantly, ensuring a seamless user experience for EV drivers regardless of locale or currency.
Comprehensive EV Charging Management 
A comprehensive EV Charging Management Software Platform, as provided by Driivz, should incorporate the following capabilities:
- Operations Management –viewing and optimizing all aspects of EV charging.
- EV Charging Billing – monetization of EV charging networks via billing and settlement.
- Energy Management – optimal EV charging through advanced algorithms, smart grid access, use of local renewables, and demand-side response.
- Mobile app and web portal– user-centric scaling and monetization of charging networks and support for diverse use cases.
- Tools for Fleets and Commercial/Industrial Buildings – vertical-specific tools to manage and optimize EV charging for fleets and in commercial/industrial buildings.
- Analytics and Reports – provide EV charging providers with trends and insights that help with the operation of their charger network and help them identify and plan future investment into new infrastructure to grow their network.
The Benefits of a Comprehensive Solution
A comprehensive charging network solution yields both technical and commercial benefits:
- Monetization: Improved charging network availability supports greater utilization and gross revenues, augmenting monetization.
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): A more reliable and available network leads to reduced CapEx and OpEx resulting in reduced TCO for network operators.
- Time-to-Market (TTM): a management solution reduces or eliminates the need for bespoke system development and simplifies otherwise complex integration, speeding TTM.
- Integration: Stable, commercial-quality APIs enable network operators and integrators to accommodate third-party, in-house and legacy software, quickly and efficiently.
Understanding EV Charging Stations
Charging stations vary by connector type, use cases and locale, their power rating, and whether they are AC or DC.
An EV charging solution is expected to be hardware agnostic and support OCPP-compliant charging stations. Independent of specific connector type, charging stations fall into three main categories, each with distinct attributes:
Level 1 – De Facto/Legacy Charging
Level 1 chargers connect to regular 110/220-volt AC (alternating current) electric outlets, ranging in output from 1 to 7.5 kWs and are included with EVs manufactured in the U.S. and Japan. Level 1 chargers are slow, taking up to 20 hours for a 120-mile charge. Practically speaking, Level 1 chargers are too slow for regular charging of today’s EV at home or at public charging station, even overnight, but still serve vehicles with smaller battery packs (plug-in hybrids, etc.).
EVs are delivered with cable adapters permitting use with Level 1 chargers and a separate cable with a J1772 adapter for use with level 2 charging stations.
Level 2 – Standard Public Charging Stations
Level 2 chargers are found at most public charging stations and also use AC power (208/240V in the US, 230/400 VAC in Europe). They are speedier from greater power throughput, charging EV batteries up to seven times faster than a Level 1 charger.
Level 2 chargers use a different type of connector than Level 1 with additional conductors to carry extra current. A Level 2 connector is designated SAE J1772 and is the standard for all EVs produced in North America.
Type 2 chargers can also be installed in-home for faster charging. Installation can be costly, but dramatically speeds at-home EV charging time, depending on the exact charger model and local power grid access.
Level 3 – “Road Trip” DC Fast Chargers
Level 3 charges, also termed “DC Fast Chargers” or “Road Trip Chargers” offer the speediest cycle. Unlike Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, they employ DC (direct current). Batteries are DC power supplies, meaning DC chargers can be simpler, more efficient, and more sensitive to charge levels.
Level 3 chargers use three different types of plugs:
- SAE Combo, employing an SAE standard connector that combines a smaller J1772 plug with a DC connector to deliver extra power.
- Tesla connector, that works with the Tesla’s Level 2 charging network and its Level 3 Supercharger stations.
- CHAdeMO, yet another DC charging system type, with a different plug configuration, defined by the CHAdeMO Association and employed by its member companies.
Choice of Charging Station Type
For consumers, choice of charging system is determined by several factors: the number and type of vehicle you own; your budget for installation and operation of home charging; amperage of available grid access; presence of solar power and storage batteries (with or without V2G); and proximity to public charging stations.
In a commercial setting (as a Fleet operator, developer of an MDU, parking structure owner, etc.), there will be other factors to consider:
- Number of EVs to charge in a given period
- Aggregate power requirements and local grid access provisioning
- System acquisition and operating budgets
- Network availability and stability
These factors vary greatly across deployment scenarios: the parameters of a workplace charging station scale with number of employees with EVs, type of business, budget for operation and subsidies, and available physical space; a public space needs to consider presence of utilities (electric and network) and impact on traffic patterns; residential communities face trade-offs between a centralized charging station vs. distributed charging points; MDUs require dedicated parking/charging facilities; and all scenarios must factor in EV charging business models.
Regulation and Incentives
Regulatory regimes and utility operation can also influence the choice of EV charging solution and the infrastructure behind it.
- Federal standards for charging equipment and business practices: in March 2024, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced issuance of a Request for Information (RFI) in support of plans to update minimum standards for federally-funded EV charging, covering charging connector types and Performance-based Charging.
- Municipality and neighborhood zoning may regulate the size and scope of charging station operation based on physical size, business operation and other factors.
- Utilities may lack load capacity to provision and service new charging points.
- Time-of-use (TOU) electric utility billing rates impact user charging cost and station operator profitability.
On the brighter side, some countries and U.S. states offer tax incentives for purchase and operation of EVs and use of renewable energy to power them.
Deep Dive into Driivz EV Charging Solutions
Driivz is a leading global software supplier to EV charging network operators and service providers, accelerating the EV industry’s dynamic and continuous transformation. Operating in more than 30 countries, Driivz manages tens of thousands of EV chargers (100s of thousands through roaming) serving millions of drivers.
Driivz provides a modular, flexible, scalable and open EV charging and energy management platform that customers can install off-the-shelf or choose only the modules currently needed, adding more capabilities as business grows and use cases expand.
In a recent research report, Driivz was recognized as the top-ranked EV networking software in the Guidehouse Insights Leaderboard. The report evaluated 18 companies across eight criteria, ranking them according to their Go-to-Market Strategy, Partners, Product Strategy, Geographic Reach, Sales, Product Portfolio, Staying Power and Innovation.
Key Capabilities of the Driivz Platform
The Driivz platform features modules for an array of management functions: 
Operations Management – designed to optimize EV charging management by offering detailed logging and reporting, automated s/w deployment and diagnostics, and remote management.
EV Charging Billing – lets charging network operators scale and monetize in support of competitive business models and diverse use cases: advanced reporting, streamlined billing, and accurate settlement. Reduces costs and increases ROI.
Smart Energy Management – employs advanced algorithms to optimize EV charging via intelligent grid utilization, and leveraging local renewable energy sources, cutting CapEx and OpEx to reduce TCO and keep within grid capacity. Enables monetization of smart energy management from reduced charger power utilization and demand-side response. Also supports bidding in flexible energy markets.
EV Driver Self-Service – tools to support diverse user management and customer-centric use cases with advanced reporting, streamlined billing, and accurate settlement, reducing costs and improving ROI.
InSite™ Vertical-specific tools – supporting fleets and commercial sites, InSite™ provides industry-specific EV charging management for fleet depots and industrial buildings.
The Need for EV Smart Charging
Local grid capacity is increasingly stretched beyond its original design parameters. EV charging can place additional stress on the grid because of the additional energy required for EV charging on top of the existing load. Without EV charging management, only a limited number of vehicles can be charged without exceeding peak load limitations, which would subject businesses to higher fees and even fines. Such limitations also put a damper on charging network growth, and by extension, on the entire EV industry.
Driivz EV Smart Charging comprehends real-time grid loading and adjusts charging network utilization and charging rates to available capacity. Up-to-the-minute grid state awareness can also inform EV roaming applications to guide drivers to charging stations with capacity and open charging bays.
Case Studies and Success Stories
ESB – Irish EV Charging Service Provider
Challenge: ESB turned to Driivz to build out its EV charging infrastructure and scale for future growth, with an emphasis on network reliability. Operating in three jurisdictions, ESB sought to provide customers with a seamless, uniform feel and experience across their whole network. They also required charger fault diagnosis and repair in a technically advanced platform.
Solution: Driivz provided a robust end-to-end solution with 24×7 real-time monitoring, operational charger management with self-healing capabilities for remote and proactive issue resolution.
Impact: ESB enjoyed 60% annual network growth and improved customer experience for an exponentially growing customer base. Driivz let ESB increase service reliability and streamline planning through analytics.
Recharge – Largest Charge Point Operator (CPO) in Norway, Sweden and Finland
Challenge: Needed a robust solution with a path to operational excellence and scalability. Required migration of 4,000 charging points without service interruption .
Solution: Recharge migrated to Driivz EV Charging Operations Management, integrating Billing, OCPI-based eRoaming and Asset Management by leveraging Driivz APIs and integration services – complete network cutover in under three hours with near-zero downtime.
Impact: With Driivz, Recharge is able to deliver a world-class customer experience for EV charging with industry-leading charging station availability. Also eased onboarding of new roaming partners while offering high transaction volumes and rapid roaming reconciliation.
Optimizing EV Charging Operations
Driivz’s EV Charging and Energy Management Platform enables charging network operators to optimize operations through Operational Excellence, efficiently operating and growing their networks, reducing TCO, and delivering a seamless charging experience to drivers.
Operating and Growing a Charging Network
Driivz lets operators monitor their networks 24/7 with an intuitive UI, complemented by a comprehensive Alert Management System (AMS), to promote network stability and availability. Auto-detection of faults and self-healing algorithms also enhance uptime. Even platform migrations incur minimal network downtime.
Driivz’s experience garnered from hundreds of peer-to-peer roaming and roaming hub integrations facilitates rapid onboarding, fast-tracking time to market with new roaming partners, and robust monthly settlement processes.
Moreover, Driivz’s comprehensive and flexible billing capabilities enable operators to tailor plans and tariffs to attract the gamut of drivers, while supporting end-to-end payment processing and invoicing.
Driivz can also integrate with legacy billing systems using an extensive set of APIs, and easily crosses borders with support for multiple languages, currencies and country-specific regulations.
Driivz offers unmatched interoperability, working with over 1200 OCPP-compliant charger models and the ability to develop custom integrations with new or non-compliant chargers. Using advanced analytics, Driivz also provides operators with insights into network operation, surfacing optimal locations for new network nodes.
Reducing TCO
By handling over 80% of charger issues remotely and automatically, Driivz reduces network operator costs by avoiding dispatch of technicians for repairs. Moreover, smart energy management via dynamic load balancing and peak shaving also optimizes TCO by increasing the number of EV charging stations a site can handle by up to 6X, compared to unmanaged stations, with existing electrical infrastructure.
Seamless charging experience 
Driivz lets network operators offer drivers a seamless charging experience and a high “first-try” success rate. The Driivz mobile app and web portal help drivers find available, operational chargers with compatible connectors, and reliably effect payments, directly in operator networks or via roaming integrations. Operators can accept payment through most industry payment gateways. Support for AutoCharge and Plug&Charge (ISO15118) further streamline the charging experience when available.
Best Practices
In the decade since the company’s founding, Driivz has helped establish industry-leading EV charging management best practices, in particular
- 24×7 monitoring and real-time alerts to maximize customer visibility.
- Proactive self-healing algorithms provide remote issue resolution for maximum uptime and reliability.
- Data and analytics for decision-making across charging networks.
- Proven methodologies for seamless migration from legacy platforms.
- Emphasis on EV smart charging and energy management.
- Compliance with industry standards and protocols.
And most importantly, providing business value to EV charging customers!
EV Charging Marketplace Trends
The future of EV charging promises to deliver a litany of innovation and new services:
- New ecosystem participants are entering the space – oil and gas companies (Shell, BP et al.), once the “enemy” of electric vehicles, are today adapting to a new electrified environment and seizing the EV charging opportunity.
- Travel centers like Pilot and Flying J are adding EV charging to their list of roadside amenities, in partnership with GM and other EV OEMs.
- Charging network Ionna, launched by a consortium of OEMs (BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis), with a mission to deploy 30,000 charging stations by 2030.
- Automotive head-unit software and mobile apps from automakers are now putting EV charging at the center of the user experience, offering benefits such as charger reservation and discounts in exchange for brand loyalty and affinity.
The big winners from emerging EV charging trends will be charging network operators.
- Operators are complementing charging activities with monetizable amenities and experiences (food, products, services, leisure).
- Network operators and EVSPs now value “clean and green” branding as key to customer loyalty, and rewarding customers for their affinity.
Conclusion
Driivz’s industry-proven EV charging and energy management platform delivers reduced TCO, scalability, rapid time-to-market and innovative features out-of-the-box. Driivz customers enjoy unparalleled freedom to augment capabilities and to add custom configurations and API-based external functionality, enhancing (not occluding) their value-added and differentiation.
Driivz serves the gamut of EV charging applications, from charging point operators, EMSPs and EVSPs to automotive OEMs to EV fleet owners and industrial site operators to public utilities. While the Driivz EV Charging and Energy Management Platform is flexible and customizable to accommodate the particulars of each of these sectors, Driivz’s core values ensure supply of ongoing business value to all of them: Technology Leadership, Operational Excellence, Commercial Superiority and a Future-proof Vision.
Looking to learn more? Speak to the Driivz team of EV Charging Management experts and learn how Driivz can optimize your charging network operations and monetize global and local EV charging opportunities.
