Supervision of charging stations: optimize your costs!

Companies investing in charging stations for electric vehicles know that simply installing equipment is not enough to guarantee optimal service. Without effective management, charging stations can break down, be under-used or generate excessive costs. This is where charging station supervision. Thanks to dedicated software, it's possible to monitor, optimize and secure the entire charging network, remotely and in real time. But how does supervision work in practice? What are the advantages for businesses? And how do you choose the right solution? We take a closer look at a tool that has become essential for the efficient management of charging infrastructures.

What is charging station supervision?

Supervision of charging stations is a system that enables a network of charging stations to be controlled, managed and optimized remotely via dedicated software. Unlike manual or reactive management, it provides a real-time view of the operation of charging stations, anticipates breakdowns and optimizes energy use. Businesses can thus ensure reliable service and control operating costs.

Real-time management to avoid interruptions

An unsupervised recharging infrastructure is vulnerable: a faulty terminal can go unnoticed until a user reports the problem. With a supervision solution, incidents are detected immediately, and certain anomalies can even be corrected remotely without physical intervention. This not only improves kiosk availability, but also avoids unnecessary maintenance costs.

Data analysis and performance optimization

Supervision is not limited to maintenance. It also collects and analyzes data on the use of charging stations: number of recharging sessions, consumption peaks, and energy efficiency. This information is crucial for adjusting access policies, optimizing load distribution and reducing energy bills. A well-designed supervision system transforms a simple recharging installation into a real optimization lever for the company.

Why is supervision of charging stations essential?

More and more companies are realizing that it's not enough just to install charging stations: they also need to manage them intelligently. Supervision plays a key role in guaranteeing network reliability and optimizing costs and facilitating the user experience.

Proactive maintenance to avoid costly breakdowns

Without supervision, kiosk management relies on reactive intervention: a kiosk breaks down, a user reports the problem, and a team has to be dispatched to the site. This model results in high downtime and maintenance costs. With supervision software, companies adopt a proactive approach:

Automatic fault detection: if a terminal malfunctions, an alert is sent immediately.
Remote diagnostics: certain problems can be corrected via the software, without having to travel.
Service scheduling: for repairs requiring physical intervention, technicians arrive on site with a precise diagnosis, reducing terminal downtime.

Thanks to this anticipation, terminal availability is maximized and the cost of interventions significantly reduced.

Optimized energy and cost management

Supervision also makes it possible tooptimize the energy consumed by the terminals, a key issue for companies concerned about their costs and carbon footprint.

Charging control: by adjusting the power delivered according to actual needs, you can avoid consumption peaks and reduce your energy bill.
Load balancing: supervision intelligently distributes available power to avoid overloading the electrical infrastructure.
Consumption monitoring With detailed reports, the company can identify periods of high use and adjust its strategies.

Beyond simple technical management, supervision becomes a genuine strategic management tool for companies equipped with charging stations.

What are the concrete benefits of supervision for companies?

Implementing a supervision system for charging stations is more than just a technical improvement. It represents a real strategic lever for companies wishing to optimize their electric vehicle fleet and control their operating costs.

Enhanced reliability for maximum uptime

An out-of-service terminal means lost revenue for the company and frustration for users. Thanks to supervision, availability rates can reach over 95%, compared with 80% to 85% for an unsupervised network.

Continuous monitoring: anomalies are detected immediately, enabling rapid intervention.
Remote troubleshooting: many software faults can be solved without having to travel.
Predictive maintenance: by analyzing wear and performance, it is possible toanticipate interventions before a breakdown occurs.

Significant reduction in operating costs

Supervision can reduce terminal operating costs by up to 30%. How can we do it?

Fewer technical trips: remote diagnostics avoid unnecessary interventions.
Better energy management: by optimizing distributed power, we limit consumption peaks.
Extended service life: by avoiding overloads and inappropriate use, terminals are less stressed and last longer.

For companies managing a fleet of terminals, these optimizations quickly translate into substantial savings.

Supervision and interoperability: a key challenge for companies

One of the major challenges in managing charging stations is interoperability between different equipment and software. A company may have charging stations of various brands, installed at different times, with different communication protocols. Supervision enables centralized management of this heterogeneous fleet, while ensuring compatibility between systems.

The role of the OCPP protocol in terminal supervision

The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is now the standard for communication between charging stations and supervision platforms. It enables :

Multi-vendor compatibility: companies are not limited to a single kiosk manufacturer, and can integrate equipment from different operators into a single supervision system.
Centralized data access: regardless of terminal model, information on network status, energy consumption and usage is consolidated on a single platform.
Scalable fleet management: when new charging stations are added, the existing infrastructure does not need to be replaced, making it easier to upgrade the charging network.

Thanks to OCPP, a company can supervise a fleet of charging stations seamlessly and uniformly, regardless of make or model.

Integration with fleet management and invoicing tools

In addition to compatibility with the terminals themselves, supervision must be able tointegrate with the management tools used by the company:

Fleet management: monitor vehicle recharging requirements, allocate charging points according to priorities, optimize slots.
Billing and cost control:allocate costs by user (staff, visitors, customers) and generate detailed reports for transparent budget management.
Connection with HR and accounting software: integration of electric vehicle energy costs into financial management and environmental reporting tools.

The aim is to offer companies a perfectly integrated recharging ecosystem, where supervision is not limited to a simple technical check, but becomes a lever for overall optimization.

How do you choose the right monitoring solution for your business?

The charging station supervision market is booming, with a multitude of offerings available. For companies, it's crucial to select a solution that meets their specific needs in terms of management, maintenance and cost optimization.

Essential criteria for effective supervision

Before deciding on a solution, several factors need to be taken into account:

Compatibility with existing kiosks: the platform must be compatible with kiosks already installed, or easily adaptable via the OCPP protocol.
Accessibility and ergonomics: an intuitive interface is essential to enable managers to easily monitor network status, consumption and incidents.
Level of automation: the more a solution is able to detect and correct anomalies automatically, the more it reduces human intervention and the associated costs.
Reporting and analysis capabilities: good supervision software should provide detailed reports on energy consumption,terminal status andnetwork usage.
Technical support and maintenance: a responsive and competent helpdesk is essential for effective long-term supervision.

Local or cloud supervision: which model to choose?

Supervision solutions can be deployed in two main ways:

Local supervision: installed directly on the company's servers, it offers total control over data and enhanced security. security. However, it requires internal resources for management and maintenance.
Cloud supervision: remotely accessible via an online platform, it enables real-time monitoring without the need for a specific IT infrastructure. This solution is more flexible and scalable, but requires a stable Internet connection.

For companies with several sites or an extensive fleet of terminals, a cloud solution is generally more suitable, as it centralizes all data and facilitates multi-site management.

Supervision of charging stations: a regulatory obligation in the making?

As electric mobility becomes increasingly important, the supervision of charging stations is becoming a strategic issue, as well as a regulatory one. Numerous pieces of legislation already impose requirements for monitoring and managing charging infrastructures, and this trend is only set to intensify.

Current supervisory obligations

In France and Europe, several legislative texts govern the management of charging infrastructures for electric vehicles:

AFIR Directive (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation): this European regulation requires the establishment of a dense network of accessible, interoperable charging stations. Supervision plays a key role in guaranteeing the availability and smooth operation of these infrastructures.
Company obligations: since 2022, companies with more than 100 vehicles must include at least 10% electric vehicles in their fleet, and install charging stations. Supervision enables them toensure compliance and optimize these installations.
Reporting requirements for public kiosks: operators of public kiosks must provide data on usage, availability and performance. A supervision solution greatly simplifies this management by automating data collection and transmission.

Towards a generalized supervision obligation?

In the future, it is likely that supervision will become a legal requirement for all charging infrastructures, whether public or private. There are several reasons for this development:

Improve network reliability: real-time monitoring reduces service interruptions and guarantees users constant access to recharging.
Ensuring transparency of performance: authorities could require companies to provide detailed reports on the use and energy efficiency of their terminals.
Encouraging energy optimization: as electric vehicles gain in popularity, governments will be looking to limit consumption peaks and promote intelligent recharging practices.

Companies that anticipate this development by adopting a monitoring solution now will be one step ahead, optimizing their costs and ensuring that their charging infrastructures comply with future regulations.

Supervision of charging stations: a key lever for optimizing management and costs