Charge Point Operations: How Electrical Vehicles Go Mainstream

The Buzz 1: Electric cars lost their image of being flimsy, slow and perhaps slightly embarrassing a long time ago.…Especially younger generations consider looking after the environment more important than roaring down the freeway, but newer electric cars have speed…Oil and gas companies look set to integrate electric charging points at fuel stations as standard. (roboticsandautomationnews.com) The Buzz 2: As of May 2019, approx. 2–3 million of the 1+ billion cars on the world’s roads are pure battery-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, says the International Energy Agency, which forecasts by 2040 there will be 300-400 million EVs out of ~2 billion vehicles on the road. [roboticsandautomationnews.com] The Buzz 3: EV Level 1 chargers use a regular 110-V outlet and can enable apartment building residents to drive 30–40 miles on an overnight charge. Level 2 chargers use a 240-V outlet, are in shopping malls and parking garages, can top-up an EV in ~5 hours. DC fast chargers [DCFC] use a 480-V outlet, can top-up an EV in under 1 hour, but not all EVs can fast-charge. (www.reuters.com) Yes! The confidence of knowing that you can find a charging station for your electrical vehicle on any journey you take is critical. Only then can drivers and passengers plan their lives and travels around a dependable EV charging infrastructure. Charge point operators – organizations that manage such charging stations – are crucial components of this puzzle. How can they not only provide electrons, but also offer diagnostics, maintenance, price setting and data management services reliably? We’ll ask experts Marcus Fendt at Mobility House and Sebastian Wagner at SAP how these businesses can thrive in a new-mobility world on Charge Point Operations: How Electrical Vehicles Go Mainstream,