Spider-Man may be able to swing far and climb fast using his superpowers — but when he wants to go a little farther, he drives electric like the rest of us (the Hyundai Prophecy, it turns out). While our chargers don’t exactly have superpowers, we are making some big changes that I believe will ensure our charging experience is the best it can be for all EV drivers as more and more people embrace the shift to electric mobility. We already have a super team of more than 200 quality and hardware engineers who design and test our products to be reliable and durable, so all EV drivers can count on them, plus a stellar network of operations and maintenance partners who are at the ready to make any needed repairs quickly. Now, we’ve just announced our new Network Operations Center (NOC), an industry-first initiative to improve EV charging network reliability with 24/7 proactive station monitoring and predictive analytics, with plans to leverage applied artificial intelligence to ensure charger uptime and fast incident response. Here’s a little more about the efforts we’re making to support great reliability.
Proactive monitoring helps us fix problems before they start
I’d love to tell you that my spidey-sense tells me when something is wrong with a station, but that wouldn’t be very scalable. Fortunately, we have something better: 24/7 proactive monitoring (available with a ChargePoint Assure warranty) that delivers advanced diagnostics on station health, sending us alerts about stations that need service so we can take quick action. This helps improve uptime and ensure that everyone, not just Spider-Man, can get a charge when they need one.
Modular hardware and advanced testing programs ensure durability and reliability in the field
Our hardware architecture has been thoughtfully designed for optimal flexibility, with as many field-replaceable components as possible. That means we don’t have to replace an entire station if something goes wrong — we can simply swap out individual parts for a rapid resolution. From swapping charging cables to adding Power Modules, we can make all kinds of quick fixes to keep our stations up and running for customers and drivers alike.
We also have an industry-leading testing facility that conducts at least 10,000 charging sessions on more than 3,300 stations per year to ensure that our chargers hold up to all kinds of environmental conditions, from rain to sleet to snow to sand to extreme heat (up to 85*C). And because the charging experience doesn’t just involve station hardware, we also conduct extensive interoperability testing with all types and classes of EVs to make sure that we can reliably charge any vehicle, every time.
Strong group of certified maintenance partners keeps our stations in good shape
Because we’ve been focused solely on EV charging since 2007, we’ve had the opportunity to build an incredible network of experienced, certified operations and maintenance partners with years of experience in EV charging installation, maintenance and repair. This gives our customers the confidence that an expert is on the case right away if anything goes wrong. To continue improving station reliability, we’re launching new partner training in early 2024 to ensure ongoing proper installation and effective repairs.
Constant connectivity on an industry-leading network
Every ChargePoint station we sell has to be connected to our network. That’s so we can gather data on what is happening with our stations. Because all of our stations are networked, we can monitor them remotely, perform proactive maintenance and dispatch expert partners for repairs if we see any kind of issue pop up. Our network also lets us display station status in our driver app, so EV drivers always know if a station is available, down for maintenance or currently being used by another driver. Drivers can also report station issues in the app, and we’re committed to investigating those reports within 24 hours.
When it comes to reliable EV charging, it turns out no superpowers are required (sorry, Peter). Just thoughtfully designed products, a super team dedicated to keeping them up and running, and now a new Network Operations Center to tie all our efforts together and use the power of technology to keep enhancing our efforts. I’m proud to be part of an industry-leading team of product designers and maintenance partners that are committed to out-of-this-world charging. I know there’s a hero in all of us. And all of us are heroes dedicated to advancing electric mobility. Go team!
For more details on our new Network Operations Center, check out the press release.
