EV Connect launches certification programme for EV Charging Station Manufacturers

In an effort to make electric vehicle (EV) charging more accessible to drivers and manageable for site owners, EV Connect announced the launch of its EV Charge Station (EVCS) Certification Programme for EV charging station manufacturers.

A leading provider of EV charging solutions, EV Connect developed the certification programme to allow manufacturers to remotely self-certify and complete the vast majority of steps required to ensure that their EV charge stations seamlessly accommodate the most common driver, network operator, and utility use cases.

Along with ensuring compatibility with advanced charge station use cases, the EVCS Certification Programme ensures that charge station hardware complies with the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), an internationally established, open-standards-based protocol for communication between electric vehicle EV charge station hardware and charge station networks.

“This new certification programme increases the efficiency and speed of getting new EV charging stations accredited on the EV Connect platform,” said Brad Juhasz, Vice President of Product Management at EV Connect. “EVCS Certification demonstrates that the station's behaviour and performance have been tested in the lab to ensure they perform predictably and optimally once deployed at owner sites. The EVCS Certification Program illustrates our commitment to offering customers choice, flexibility, and reliable service through open-standards-based EV charging solutions.”

EV Connect provides the industry's most innovative cloud-based software platform for managing networks of EV charging stations, their interaction with utilities, and the improvement of the driver experience. Charging stations certified under the EVCS Certification Programme are automatically cleared to operate on EV Connect's management platform, EV Cloud, and ensure that charging stations adhere to the highest levels of network reliability, maximised station performance, standards compliance, and customer satisfaction.

“Nobody would buy a TV that only worked with one cable company, but that is what some parts of the EV charging industry are doing today,” said Jordan Ramer, CEO at EV Connect. “With the EVCS Certification Programme the industry now has a standards-based path to ensuring that EV charge station assets from various hardware providers can be monitored and managed remotely, allowing site owners and network operators to focus on offering a driver-friendly network for the lowest possible cost of ownership.”

Charging station manufacturers who have already completed the certification process include BTCPower, Delta, Aerovironment (Webasto), EVoCharge, EV Box, Tritium, and LiteOn. ABB Signet, and Siemens are expected to complete the EVCSC program by the Summer of 2019.