EV Charging Management Software: Who Needs It, What to Look for, and How PowerFlex Can Help

Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer just for early adopters; they've entered the mass market. In 2023, 1.6 million EVs were sold in the U.S. — a 60% increase from the 1 million sold nationwide in 2022. This trajectory is expected to continue through 2030 and beyond.  

Naturally, the electrification of the auto industry is increasing the demand for large-scale commercial EV charging networks. As a property owner or manager, you might be thinking to yourself, What does this have to do with me?  

The reality is that EVs are fundamentally changing the way we fuel our vehicles. EVs don’t follow the traditional “gas station model” where drivers refuel in a central location every week or so. Drivers are charging their cars at home, at work, and while out shopping — much like they do their cellphones.  

Property owners need to accommodate this growing need for chargers or risk losing out on business, but It’s not as simple as installing a few dozen charging stations. EV charging management software is necessary to ensure that onsite charging works for both drivers and site owners. Let’s explore more.

What Is EV Charging Management Software?

When people think about EV charging infrastructure, the things that immediately come to mind are installing charging stations, running conduit and cables, establishing Wi-Fi or cellular connections, and so on. However, installing the physical hardware is only the beginning; chargers need to be intelligently managed for optimal operation. This is where EV charging management software comes in.  

Also referred to as a charging management system (CMS), EV charging management software controls and optimizes onsite electric vehicle charging. A key feature of a CMS is load management: dynamically distributing power across vehicles to avoid system failures and additional fees from the utility company (more on this later). Some CMS platforms also manage other aspects of EV charging such as charger status monitoring, system diagnostics, and emissions reduction tracking.

Who Needs EV Charging Management Software?

Gauging the need for a charging management system is simple: Any property with more than a handful of EV chargers should consider using a CMS. This includes commercial and industrial properties, workplaces, universities, parking facilities, and many other types of sites. Charging management systems are also vital to fleet operators who need to juggle the daily charging needs of large EV fleets. Here are some key reasons why a CMS is essential:

• A CMS can limit the total EV charging load to avoid electrical overloads that might trip breakers and shut down power to your facility. Preventing these usage spikes through effective load management is also critical for avoiding expensive demand charges from your power company.
  

• The National Electrical Code (NEC) allows the EV charging capacity installed at a site to exceed the site’s connection capacity if load management software is deployed. This means installing additional chargers to accommodate more EVs, without upgrading electrical infrastructure.  

• With multiple chargers, a CMS will carefully manage the energy output of each one in real time as vehicles pull in and out of parking spaces. Energy is allocated to vehicles until they finish charging.

As the need for EV chargers increases, it’s likely that property owners will elect to expand their charging systems to keep up with demand. That’s why it’s important to choose a scalable CMS that can grow along with your EV charging footprint. There are many other things to consider when evaluating EV charging management software, which we’ll explore in the following sections.

The Importance of Load Management

As we touched on earlier, load management is an essential part of operating a large number of EV chargers. There are multiple EV charging load management methods on the market, but their effectiveness can vary widely.

Many systems utilize a basic technique called Equal Share Charging, which means dividing the available power equally among all vehicles present. This works well for a few chargers but cannot be scaled effectively. The more cars that plug in, the smaller the share of energy available — which means the more time it will take for drivers to fill up.

Other methods like First Come, First Served or “Round Robin” make vehicles take turns to charge, either based on when they first arrive or through a rotation where a certain amount of energy is doled out to each vehicle before moving on to the next one. Scalability is an issue here too, as vehicles spend more time waiting than charging when there is a long queue.

Some solution providers try to mask this scalability issue by limiting the number of charging stations installed and advising site hosts to introduce wait lists that notify drivers when a spot becomes available. Setting time limits on charging and instituting high idle fees to compel drivers to vacate their spots once charging is complete are other common workarounds.

Unfortunately, these tactics only serve to frustrate drivers and create a poor charging experience. They can be especially detrimental for workplaces, as productivity is lost when employees are constantly interrupted by the need to move their cars.

Adaptive Intelligence as a Solution

The ideal solution is what PowerFlex calls Adaptive Load Management^® (ALM). With ALM, a large number of chargers can be installed to support EV drivers who regularly park on your property. When there are enough parking spaces for EVs, vehicles can stay parked all day or night while our charging management system, PowerFlex X™, works out the best way to move energy around.  

PowerFlex X uses adaptive intelligence and patented algorithms to continuously learn from past experiences and optimize charging with real-time data. For example, when tenants in an apartment building start arriving home in the evening and plug in their cars, PowerFlex X knows to delay charging until after peak rate hours since most people won’t head back out until the morning. By charging cars overnight when building load is low and electricity is cheaper, the site host can enjoy reduced energy costs.

To ensure cars are charged by the time drivers need to leave, PowerFlex X gives drivers the option to enter their departure time via a mobile app. The result is an optimized charging experience that takes individual drivers’ needs into consideration.

What Else to Look for in a CMS

We’ve discussed the importance of load management, which is the core capability of a CMS that prevents electrical overload, reduces energy bills, and keeps drivers happy. Now let’s explore some additional points to consider when choosing a CMS.

Real-Time Monitoring & Control

Your CMS should provide online access that shows the real-time status of your chargers and allows you to control them remotely. Dashboards should be well-designed to convey critical information at a glance, such as which chargers are online, offline, or currently in use. Operators should be able to quickly drill down to specific chargers that need troubleshooting and issue commands to start and stop charging sessions remotely. Smart alerts and streamlined notifications can help operators identify and diagnose issues without information overload or screen clutter.

Asset Management & Customer Support

Your CMS subscription might include asset management services, which is an excellent option if you lack the in-house resources. They should be proactive in identifying and fixing issues without your direct involvement, and maximizing charger uptime. In the event you contact them about a problem, they should be responsive and transparent about steps being taken to address your concerns. A clear service level agreement (SLA) can help set the right expectations and ensure accountability.

Data Analytics & Reporting

Good data analytics turns raw data into insights that can be used to drive decision-making. Detailed statistics like peak usage times, charging patterns, and energy consumption can help property owners decide how to set driver pricing or know when it’s time to expand or upgrade their system. Your CMS should also generate comprehensive reports required for sustainability reporting, regulatory and compliance reporting, and meeting incentive requirements.

Energy Management

EV charging load is just one of many moving parts in your property’s overall energy utilization profile. Facility energy generation and consumption is typically overseen by an energy management system (EMS) — and it’s a good idea that your CMS integrates or communicates with your EMS so EV charging operations are coordinated with other onsite energy assets.  

PowerFlex X includes both EMS and CMS functionality on a unified platform and is integrated out of the box. And should you decide to add other renewable energy assets like solar or energy storage in the future, you can stay on the same platform.

Scalability & Interoperability

For future proofing, it’s important to choose a CMS that can grow and scale with you as your business and energy needs evolve. Whether you’re adding more EV chargers to your current property, expanding chargers to additional sites, or implementing solar and energy storage, choosing a scalable and interoperable CMS helps you save on future integration costs and avoid vendor lock-in.

Trust PowerFlex X for Your EV & Energy Management Needs

PowerFlex X checks all the boxes when it comes to meeting your smart charging needs in addition to optimizing your entire facility’s energy generation and utilization. We are an end-to-end solutions provider, handling all aspects of project development from system design and installation to monitoring and asset management. Interested in learning what PowerFlex X can do for you and your team? Reach out today to book a commitment-free demo.