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[ui!] M2CHARGE

Scalable complete solution for operating e-charging stations

Brief information

  • Charging station utilisation for operators
  • Implementing digitalisation
  • Smart charge point planning
  • Scalable complete solution

Scalable complete solution for operating e-charging stations: [ui!] M2CHARGE

[ui!] M2CHARGE is a customer-orientated, modular solution from a single source for operators.

It can be started with just a small number of charging points (LP) and expanded later as demand grows. As an operator, start with the basic package (local operation at one or a few locations) and add further locations and value-added services later.

Integrate further functional modules such as billing & payment, roaming and smart charging. The basic package consists of all services and basic CPMS - required for the start of a small, local system (up to 20 charging points).

[ui!] M2CHARGE at a glance

The [ui!] M2CHARGE solution is made up of four function modules:

  • Base CPMS
  • Billing & Payment
  • Roaming
  • Smart Charging
  • Energy systems

The Base CPMS function module is the main component of [ui!] M2CHARGE and is required to use the overall solution.

Get started right away - With the data from [ui!]

[ui!] M2CHARGE is a modular solution that can

  • an end-to-end offering - hardware, software and services

  • or just specific parts / modules.

[ui!] works with partners to offer the full range of options.

An Open Urban Data Platform is not required for this solution. You can get started right away...

Functionality

  • Function module 1:
    Charge point management system for the operator (CPMS), white-label mobile app for e-mobility service providers for the user (e-Mobility Services Provider, eMSP).

  • Function module 2:
    Billing and invoices with Stripe (secure API).

  • Funktionsbaustein 3:
    Roaming
    wird durch Integrationen mit führenden Roaming-Plattformen unterstützt (z. B. Gireve, Hubject).

  • Function module 4:
    Smart charging to optimise charging processes across multiple charging points and users, including the option of integrating additional local energy sources via an energy management system (EMS) (and taking them into account during optimisation).
    Optimisation for various objectives such as fair sharing, peak shaving, cost management and phase balancing.

  • Function module 5:
    Energy systems supports the seamless integration of different energy systems. It enables various energy sources and consumers to be efficiently connected and controlled in order to ensure an optimised overall system.

[ui!] M2CHARGE End-to-End Lösung


Value creation potential for the (municipal) operator

The German government has set itself the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector by 48% by 2030 compared to 1990. This requires in particular the electrification of road transport and the use of renewable energies. The prerequisite for this is the further expansion of the charging infrastructure. The electrification of road transport is essential to protect the climate. This requires a charging infrastructure that meets demand.

According to the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure (NLL) in a report from 2020, the number of electric vehicles could increase to a total of 14.8 million (battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2030, including around 9.6 million battery electric vehicles. The charging infrastructure required for this will (according to the report) require between at least 440,000 and 843,000 publicly accessible charging points in 2030, with a need for around 2.5 to 2.7 million charging points for the workplace and between 5.4 and 8.7 million private charging points (LP) at home.

This massive increase in charging infrastructure, particularly public charging, semi-public charging (e.g. in shopping centres or supermarket car parks) and workplace charging, will require reliable and flexible technical solutions and corresponding business models.

As many of these customers do not have the necessary expertise to plan, install and maintain such facilities (hardware and software), the solutions must be end-to-end, turnkey and supported by experts throughout the entire life cycle of the solution.

In addition, the mobility sector in Germany (and indeed across Europe) is transforming into a data-driven sector, leading to new innovative services. The mobility data strategy as part of the digitalisation strategy at local, regional and national level must be taken into account in all mobility-related solutions. Specifically, (smart) cities and municipalities will need master plans for the charging infrastructure and thus an integration of this infrastructure with urban data platforms.

While the utilisation of charging stations is currently low, the explosive growth of EVs will lead to high utilisation in some areas. New approaches such as AI-based smart charging must be used to optimise charging. Further innovations such as bi-directional charging (Vehicle-to-X, V2X, where X can be G=Grid, H=Home, B=Building, etc.) will require charging solutions to be expandable and future-proof to enable such innovations.

Number of fully electric vehicles

(Source: Statista, October 2023)


Publicly accessible charging points in Germany (normal and fast charging points)

(Source: Bundesnetzagentur)

Possible areas of application for [ui!] M2CHARGE

Public charging (roadside, mobility hubs, charging station on axles): Although the solution is suitable for all of these scenarios, our focus is on the municipal sector, i.e. roadside charging and mobility hubs. Target customers: Municipalities, public utilities or municipal companies, other operators (charge point operators, CPOs).

Semi-public charging (in car parks of supermarkets, shopping centres, hotels, etc.): Owners of car parks that can be used for a limited time (e.g. when shopping). Various business models are associated with this use case, including incentives for customers (e.g. minimum 2-hour stay and free charging). Target customers: Owners and/or managers of commercial properties with customer parking spaces, operators of car park facilities.

Charging in buildings (both private apartment blocks and office buildings with garage or open car parks): Buildings where people live or work usually have parking spaces (in the building's garage or in an outdoor car park). These are also the places where most charging takes place (at night in residential buildings or during the day in office buildings). Target customers: Building owners and/or managers.

Parking and charging (Park & Charge): Many residents do not have their own car park and therefore do not have their own wallbox to charge their e-vehicles. This use case is based on cooperation with semi-public facilities that are willing to allow (registered) residents to park and charge at night (i.e. when the shopping centre is closed). Various business models with or without local government are possible. Target customers: Owners and/or managers of commercial properties with customer parking spaces, operators of car park facilities.

Charging at the workplace (Charge@Work>): Similar to office buildings, but typically a larger business with mostly open outdoor car parks owned by a single company and in many cases with their own company EVs. Some of these facilities also have other renewable energy sources such as rooftop solar PV and local energy storage that can also be managed and utilised for smart charging. Optionally, automatic reimbursement for home charging of company EVs is possible. Target customers: Companies with e-vehicles (company fleet or private vehicles) and available parking spaces.

Charging for tourists (destination charging): Travellers/tourists have the option of charging at their destination in hotels or car parks with EV chargers. Target customers: Hotel owners or managers, tourist facilities with car parks.

Spontaneous charging (ad hoc charging): Support for charging without prior registration via credit card or debit card. This is also in line with the revised Charging Station Ordinance (LSV), which requires payment systems at charging stations that are simpler and more transparent. Target customers: Municipalities, municipal utilities or municipal companies, other CPOs of publicly accessible charging infrastructure.

Charging use cases for charging your own e-vehicle.

(Source: NLL 2024)

Base CPMS

The "Base CPMS" function module offers a comprehensive solution for the management of charging infrastructure and charging processes in the field of electromobility. It enables the efficient management of users, charging stations and charging processes. It also enables remote control of charging stations, including functions such as restarting, transaction interruption and unlocking plugs. The integrated measurement of charged energy enables precise billing and reporting. Overall, the function module offers a comprehensive platform for optimising and controlling charging processes in electric vehicle infrastructures.

Note: Function module 1 is mandatory to start with [ui!] M2CHARGE.


Technical description

Technical description

Function module 1 contains the Charge Point Management System (CPMS) and the associated user app. The basic CPMS, which is part of the aforementioned basic package, includes most of the overall functions.

To use the [ui!] M2CHARGE solution, the following requirements must be met:

  • The charging points must support the OCPP 1.6 protocol (for communication with the backend (CPMS)),
  • For use cases that include non-private charging points, these charging points must comply with calibration law,
  • It is recommended to seek advice in advance to ensure that the basic requirements are met (e.g. availability of sufficient power supply).

The widely used payment platform Stripe is currently used.

CPMS: This open source software platform is used to manage a network of charge points (OCPP 1.6 compliant). The platform is hardware agnostic and can be used with any LP that is OCPP 1.6 compliant - numerous EV chargers (different manufacturers and different models) are already integrated. A CPO can use this platform to

  • Manage charging stations (onboarding and offboarding), monitor charging station details and real-time status,
  • manage users (account management - registration, closure, etc.),
  • Badge management,
  • Rolen management,
  • manage vehicles (in the case of fleets),
  • monitor charging processes (user authentication, start and end of processes, measurement of charged energy, etc.), create real-time charging curves,
  • Static energy management: Manual limitation of the charging station current,
  • Remote control of the charging stations (reboot, clear cache, stop transaction, unlock plug),
  • Enable the creation of invoices based on simple or very complex tariff structures (e.g. for parking and charging),
  • Create simple statistics and reports

Optional additional energy-related local assets to monitor and manage, real-time asset management (building, battery, solar panel).

Abrechnung und Zahlungsabwicklung

The "Billing and payments" function module offers customers considerable added value through various functions.

On the one hand, it enables the easy creation of invoices based on simple or complex tariff structures. This means a considerable increase in efficiency, as manual processes can be minimised and errors reduced. Customers can flexibly adapt their tariff structures, be it for parking fees, charging costs or other services, and thus meet the individual requirements of their business model.

In addition, the integration of the Stripe API ensures security and reliability when processing payments. With Stripe as a partner, customers can be sure that their payment data is protected and transactions run smoothly. This strengthens customer trust and minimises the risk of fraud or data loss.

Automating billing and payment processes not only improves efficiency, but also the user experience. Customers receive invoices quickly and can easily process payments via the integrated Stripe API. This contributes to customer satisfaction and promotes long-term customer relationships.

Overall, the Billing and Payments functional module provides a comprehensive solution for processing invoices and payments that increases operational efficiency and improves customer satisfaction.


Technical description

Technical description

This function module is based on the exact amount of energy (as recorded by the charging station and transmitted to the CPMS) and the set price per kWh. The data is then transmitted to the payment processor to create the invoice, which is then sent to the relevant customer.

In the case of ad-hoc charging, the process is slightly more complex as the payment processor must verify the credit or debit card before authorising the start of charging.

Roaming

Roaming

Roaming: Enabling roaming scenarios where EV drivers are outside their e-mobility service provider (eMSP) and/or CPO region, but can still charge their EV and receive the bill from their eMSP.

Integration with major roaming platforms (such as Gireve, Hubject, etc.) enables this service. This is not dissimilar to the situation with mobile device roaming communication networks.


Technical description

Technical description

Roaming charging: Supported by integrations with leading roaming platforms (e.g. Gireve, Hubject; see Hubject | The world's largest international eRoaming network).

Target customers: Any CPO who wants to offer roaming capabilities to their customers (which is almost expected).

Data visualisation

Smart Charging

Smart charging to optimise charging processes across multiple charging points and users, including the option of integrating additional local energy sources via an energy management system (EMS) (and taking them into account during optimisation).

Optimisation for various objectives such as fair sharing, peak shaving, cost management and phase balancing. The aim of smart charging is to avoid uneven electricity demand and to improve the utilisation of the charging infrastructure.


Value creation potential for the municipality

Value creation potential for the municipality

The smart charging function module offers the municipality a range of potential added value. Intelligent charging algorithms allow the existing charging infrastructure to be used more efficiently, which leads to better utilisation of the charging points and reduces bottlenecks during peak times. Smart charging also enables targeted control of charging processes in order to avoid power peaks and reduce the municipality's energy costs by purchasing electricity at more favourable tariffs or prioritising the use of renewable energy sources.

Smart charging also helps to reduce emissions by maximising the use of renewable energy and optimising electricity consumption. This supports the municipality's efforts to improve air quality and reduce its carbon footprint. By providing an efficient and user-friendly charging experience, smart charging promotes the acceptance and use of electric vehicles in the municipality, which in turn can improve the local traffic and parking situation.

Overall, the "Smart Charging" function module offers the municipality the opportunity to increase its efficiency, promote electromobility and at the same time make a contribution to environmental protection. This contributes to sustainable development and a higher standard of living for citizens.

Technical description

Technical description

Smart charging is based on an optimisation algorithm that pursues a specific goal (e.g. the reduction of peak loads) and uses restrictions (e.g. the maximum available local power).

A mathematical calculation takes place that determines the amount of power for each charging point (and the corresponding vehicle being charged there) in each time slot (e.g. 15 minutes long).

This charging profile is then sent by the CPMS to the individual charging points at which the e-vehicles are currently being charged. Further details are quite technical and available on request.

Data visualisation

Energy systems

The "Energy systems" function module supports the seamless integration of different energy systems. It makes it possible to efficiently connect and control various energy sources and consumers to ensure an optimised overall system.

By intelligently controlling and monitoring these energy systems, the function module helps to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and increase the reliability of the energy supply.


Value creation potential for the municipality

Value creation potential for the municipality

The "energy systems" function module offers the municipality a wide range of potential for value creation. It makes it possible to seamlessly integrate different energy systems and thus optimise energy efficiency.

The intelligent control of energy flows can reduce costs and increase security of supply. This is particularly important in crisis situations where a reliable energy supply is essential. In addition, the integration of renewable energies helps to reduce the municipality's ecological footprint and supports its efforts towards sustainability and environmental protection. Overall, the "energy systems" functional module opens up new opportunities for municipalities to optimise their energy infrastructure and create a future-proof, sustainable energy supply.

The value creation potential also applies to companies that offer charging stations for their employees' electric vehicles at the workplace. As a rule, such companies are very aware of climate change goals and the benefits of sustainability and may therefore also have solar panels, energy storage systems, etc. This integration of all available energy-related assets will lead to more efficient energy use and corresponding cost reductions.

Technical description

Technical description

The CPMS can be integrated with energy management systems (EMS) to which the various energy sources are connected (e.g. solar panels, energy storage, etc.).

The data coming from the EMS can be monitored on the CPMS "Assets" tab. In addition, the "Smart Charging" module can also use this data to achieve even better optimisation and better use of renewable energy.

Glossary for [ui!] M2CHARGE

Glossary for [ui!] M2CHARGE

  • CPO = Charge Point Operator → Charging point operator
  • CPMS = Charge Point Management System → Charging point management system, the software used by the CPO to manage the LPs
  • EMS = Energy Management System (energy management system) → a software platform for managing multiple energy-related systems (e.g. solar panels, electricity storage, etc.)
  • CP = Charging point → A charging station can have more than one charging point. The number of charging points determines the number of electric vehicles that can be charged simultaneously at a charging station
  • NLL = National Leitstelle Ladeinfrastruktur (National charging infrastructure control centre) → was founded on behalf of the BMDV and under the umbrella of NOW GmbH. It coordinates and manages activities to expand the charging infrastructure in Germany.
  • AC = Alternating Current → Alternating current (almost all charging stations with an output of up to 22 kW are alternating current devices)
    DC = Direct Current → Direct current (almost all fast chargers with 50 kW or more are direct current chargers)
  • OCPP = Open Charge Point Protocol → a standard protocol for the exchange of data between the charging station and the backend (almost all chargers use OCPP)
  • UC = Use Case
  • kW = kilowatt → a unit of electrical power (measures how much energy is delivered per unit of time)
  • kWh = kilowatt hour → a unit of electrical energy (measures the energy supplied over a certain period of time total energy)
  • eMSP = e-mobility service provider (e-mobility service provider) → has the relationship with the user and provides billing, customer service, etc. (sometimes CPO and eMSP are one and the same entity)
  • Roaming is comparable to roaming with mobile phones. The basic idea is that multilateral agreements can be made between different eMSPs and CPOs so that a customer of a service provider also has access to charging stations when travelling
  • Stripe, Inc. The company mainly offers software for payment processing. We work with this company for invoicing and payment processing.
    SLA = Service Level Agreement (service contract) → Defines the level of service you expect from a provider and sets out the criteria against which the service will be measured, as well as remedial action or penalties in the event that the agreed level of service is not achieved.
  • KPI = Key Performance Indicator(key performance indicator) → a set of quantifiable measurements used to assess long-term performance.

Would you like to find out more about our solutions?

We are also happy to assist you at our branches in Berlin, Darmstadt, München, Walldorf oder Chemnitz are available for a demonstration or will visit you on request.