For EV Charger Interoperability, Standards Are Key (ACT Expo 2024 Recap)
While EV charging infrastructure challenges and total cost of ownership (TCO) parity were the most-discussed challenges at ACT Expo 2024, it was also clear that interoperability is a rising concern as the industry prepares for a wave of charger deployments.
Interoperability “is incredibly important at this stage of the industry,” said Chris Nordh, Head of North America for ABB E-Mobility, speaking on the panel Explore the Codes and Standards Shaping the Industry. Echoing the sentiment, Dan Priestly, Senior Manager of Tesla Semi, said in a fireside chat with GNA President Erik Neandross, “We view interoperability as key to widespread electrification.”
The role of standards
Interoperability means “the charger works every time you plug in,” explained Henry Johnson, Truck and Bus Product Management at Alpitronic. Achieving it requires industry-accepted standards. “Interoperability is where standards can support and prevent challenges,” said Erika Myers, Executive Director of Charging Interface Initiative North America (CharIN Inc.), who moderated the Codes and Standards panel.
In his keynote, Tesla’s Priestly said the fact that every major OEM has committed to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) is a “huge win” for the industry. As far as the standard that will govern megawatt-level charging, Priestly said that for Tesla Semi, “we went with what we had because we needed to move fast.” But at scale, “we prioritize interoperability and we’ll make sure Tesla is aligned to whatever the industry-accepted standard is.”
Alpitronic’s Johnson praised the Megawatt Charging System (MCS). He said its benefits include the fact that the charging port is always on the left. “With the Combined Charging System (CCS), in contrast, there’s no standardized location for the inlet which causes headaches when set up a charging station.” Another benefit of MCS, he said, is that “higher charging power means less dwell time (from 90 minutes to eventually under 30 minutes)” which makes it easier for BEVs to compete with diesel. “It’s all about sweating the asset – getting the vehicle back on the road earning money. MCS helps do that better.”
Nordh at ABB E-Mobility agreed that MCS will be important “for some use cases.” But, he said, “the goal is to charge the vehicle as slowly as possible within operational rest time parameters because that raises ROI.” So “for a large percentage of use cases (e.g., the very large part of the market that does overnight charging), CCS is sufficient.”
Are fleets’ needs reflected in current standards?
Interoperability is different in the fleet space than in the consumer space. “In the fleet space there are more complex aspects to interoperability, such as wake-up protocols,” Nordh said. “Certain features unique to fleets might not be reflected now in the standards. The implementation of standards needs to be perfected.”
CharIN’s Myers asked the panel, “So how can fleet managers ensure they’re buying equipment that will work and engage in the standards development process?” Trishan Peruma, Chief Executive Officer, North America at Hubject responded, “Get partners together for conformance testing, like at CharIN Testivals.”
Each charger OEM has implemented standards slightly differently, Peruma said, which makes testing so essential. “The devil is in the detail with how the standards have been implemented to make sure there’s not a disconnect.”
At Voltera, we have a team dedicated to validating charger OEMs to ensure interoperability between the EVSE, vehicle, and software ecosystem. Any issues are documented and addressed in cooperation with the OEMs’ engineering teams. For our customers, this process enables a thoroughly vetted charging ecosystem supported by OEM-certified personnel who provide comprehensive remote and on-site technical support. Any issues that arise are effectively root-caused and efficiently resolved, minimizing downtime and cost.
The role of software
Myers asked the panel about the integration challenges fleets are having and “how the industry is supporting the transition and addressing interoperability with software.” Hubject’s Peruma explained, “We’re starting to see collaboration between software players that are now building bridges around interoperability.” She advised fleets “to discuss with your hardware, software, and vehicle OEM partners. Encourage them to work together.” And, “Get your view represented in forums like Testivals.”