Why Open Standards Matter: Don't Get Locked In Like a Sneaky Timeshare
Want to keep up with the times and prepare for the future? Adding EV charging stations to your property accomplishes both. It is no coincidence that governments, automakers, and commercial real estate companies across the country are investing serious money into EV infrastructure.
Don’t Let Hardware Dictate Your Software
When considering EV charging station companies, many businesses make the mistake of focusing on the station itself (the hardware) without considering the brains inside of it (the software). No doubt that choosing the right hardware is crucial, especially when it comes to finding the most appropriate type of station for your commercial space and customers. But once the machines are installed, both your customers and your company will interact with them via the machine’s software. The majority of your maintenance and management, in fact, will depend on the operating system and user interface of your particular machines.
The Benefits of Open Charging Standards
Many hardware manufacturers do not favor so-called “open system” charging stations, which allow machines from different manufacturers to communicate together on the same network, rather than forcing owners to utilize pre-loaded, proprietary software that is inflexible. If you’re not on an open system and have already purchased the hardware, and you decide you want to change the software you’re using to manage your charging infrastructure, you’ll be stuck..
Open systems offer much greater flexibility by giving CRE businesses the ability to choose the best software for their specific goals and install it on the machine that is right for their customers. Not only does that added freedom save money upfront, but it also allows for more streamlined adaptions or upgrades in the future by reducing the constraints that manufacturers put on their charging station hardware.
Think of picking an EV charging station company like buying into a timeshare property: You may own something great, but the experience when you’re there is what matters. Timeshares often come with unnecessary fees and make it very difficult for you to part ways when you become unhappy. If your EV charging stations, like many timeshares, offer very little flexibility and too many restrictions on how often you can visit and in what ways you can change or customize the space, it’s not as enjoyable.
Start with Software Instead
With EV Connect, your business can feel confident entering the EV charging space with the right software on your side. Our software is compatible with nearly every kind of hardware. We work hand-in-hand with multiple EV charging station hardware companies to ensure you can manage your stations properly, and we guide your business through the entire process so you get the right stations for your specific needs. EV Connect will even guide you through the various State and Federal sustainability credits, rebates, and available incentives. We’ll recommend the most efficient equipment while helping you defray upfront costs and maximizing your ROI.
The key to EV Connect is flexibility. Our simple, turnkey solutions give our customers the ability to manage access, pricing, and performance on their stations from anywhere. We can also create a customized network with built-in scalability so that your company can grow and install more EV charging stations over time while remaining firmly in control of your hardware. And with our 24/7 customer support, we are always on call for whatever your business needs.
EV Connect Helps You Evolve
Think back to the timeshare. If you choose to work with an EV charging station company that also locks you into their management platform permanently, you may find it hard to evolve. You may have to abandon your stations altogether and find new hardware that better suits your needs in order to use the software that does.
Instead, start with useful, intuitive EV station management software that works with all the major station manufacturers and offers you powerful tools to control and manage your EV infrastructure. EV Connect will help you select the right stations for your business, find available rebates to keep down costs, and stay by your side to help you navigate the present and future of EV charging technology.
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