Transforming Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions for Major Global UK-Based EV Company

The Challenge

The global EV company needed a multi-pronged solution for their charge units including addressing control, compatibility and authentication issues.

The EV company sought to overcome various hurdles, including charge unit management, service integration, compatibility issues, and customer engagement. They needed a solution that enabled efficient management and control of charge units, supported multiple service offerings, and ensured compatibility with non-proprietary charge units. Additionally, the company required robust authentication, secure billing processes, and effective communication channels.

The Solution

Sphere created a custom CPMS with enhanced client-facing services, a scalable base development platform and more modern software infrastructure.

A CPMS (Charge Point Management System), developed by Sphere, emerged as the comprehensive solution for the EV company’s challenges. By employing IoT patterns, CPMS seamlessly integrated with charge units, providing low-level integration and configuration capabilities. It enabled the implementation of home charge control, on-the-go services, fleet integration, and ensured compatibility with various charge unit types.

Key Features:

1. Core Services: Sphere’s development team created core services, including Identity, Billing, and Notification services, from scratch. The Identity service facilitated authentication and authorization, supporting various single sign-on systems and login methods. The Billing service handled payment transactions, including refunds and invoice generation. The Notification service enabled seamless communication through SMS, email, and push notifications.
2. Client-Facing Services: The HC (Home Charge) web user portal and mobile app developed by Sphere empowered end customers to interact with their HC units effectively. These platforms offered functionalities such as starting, stopping, scheduling, configuration, real-time updates, and profile modifications. They adhered to the EV company’s style guide and architectural approaches.
3. Scalable and Extensible Platform: Sphere established a core team to research the domain and define goals for major microservices, including Identity and Billing. They made key architectural decisions that allowed for the expansion of services such as Ecommerce, Dealer Portal, Back Office, Marketing Site, and B2B. The platform was designed to accommodate new products and extensions without requiring changes to its core structure.
4. Modern Infrastructure and Efficiency: Sphere implemented a modern infrastructure architecture that ensured cost efficiency. By consolidating non-production environments, they significantly reduced the cost of ownership. Additionally, the implementation of continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) processes facilitated code delivery to production within an hour.

Outcomes and Results

Sphere’s team of EV engineers created a completely compliant and scalable CPMS that allowed for better customer interactions and seamless future development.

1. ISO-Compliant CPMS: Sphere successfully developed CPMS following ISO standards, providing a stable and reliable service for smart charge unit owners. It supported all new UK smart charge units, meeting the EV company’s growth goals.
2. Enhanced Customer Interaction: The HC web user portal and mobile app transformed the customer experience by offering a wide range of functionalities. Users could easily control their HC units, access real-time updates, configure settings, and modify their profiles, contributing to improved customer engagement.
3. Extensibility and Future Expansion: The scalable and extensible platform built by Sphere enabled the EV company to add new products and extend existing ones without modifying the core platform. This flexibility positioned the company for future growth and innovation.
4. Streamlined Development Processes: The establishment of CI/CD processes by Sphere accelerated code delivery, reducing time-to-market and enhancing overall development efficiency.

Conclusion

By leveraging CPMS and Sphere’s expertise, the EV company successfully overcame their challenges in the electric vehicle charging industry, resulting in significant business impact.

The comprehensive solution provided by CPMS, with its IoT-based charge unit management and integration capabilities, allowed the company to achieve several key benefits:

• The implementation of CPMS enabled the EV company to expand its service offerings and cater to a wider customer base. The availability of home charge control, on-the-go services, and fleet integration enhanced the company’s competitive edge in the market, attracting more EV owners and fleet operators.
• Sphere’s core services, such as Identity, Billing, and Notifications, streamlined critical processes and improved operational efficiency. The seamless authentication and authorization provided by the Identity service ensured a secure and user-friendly experience for customers, resulting in increased trust and satisfaction.
• The scalability and extensibility of the platform allowed the EV company to adapt to evolving market demands and quickly introduce new products and features. This agility translated into faster time-to-market for innovations, giving the company a competitive advantage over its peers.
• The modern infrastructure architecture implemented by Sphere significantly reduced costs, optimizing the company’s financial performance. By consolidating non-production environments and establishing CI/CD processes, the company achieved greater efficiency in development and deployment, saving both time and resources.

Overall, the successful implementation of CPMS and the partnership with Sphere not only solved the EV company’s challenges but also delivered tangible business impact. The expanded service offerings, improved operational efficiency, increased customer satisfaction, faster time-to-market, and cost optimization contributed to the company’s growth, market competitiveness, and overall success in the evolving landscape of electric vehicle charging.