- Ericsson has partnered with Blue Corner, a Blink Charging company, to show how cellular IoT is playing a pivotal role in connecting electric vehicle charging stations – a rapidly growing market driven by a global push for the phasing out of gasoline-powered vehicles.
- The report reveals how cellular IoT streamlines the orchestration, administration and maintenance of electric vehicle charging stations, reducing annual monitoring costs by 15%.
- By implementing cellular IoT, mid-size electric vehicle charging providers can increase revenue by 40%, through interoperability revenue sharing.
Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today released a Charge report of connected electric vehicles in collaboration with EV charging provider Blue Corner, their connectivity provider Orange Belgium and Arthur D. Little.
The report highlights the value of cellular IoT in connecting and orchestrating electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. As consumers, governments and the automotive industry look to a more sustainable and efficient alternative to fossil fuel vehicles, EV charging providers recognize an opportunity for business growth.
However, they face the challenge of effectively operating and maintaining a growing number of charging stations, and ensuring the stations are utilized and profitable, while providing a seamless charging experience for their customers.
Ericsson’s report explores how cellular IoT connectivity can help EV charging providers improve their charging station deployment, operation, maintenance and service delivery. Specifically, the IoT supports user authorization, payment processes, station monitoring and maintenance, and smart energy management, while providing valuable data to improve planning and develop new customer services.
Another advantage of cellular IoT connectivity is its built-in security measures to protect sensitive data and information, creating immediate added value in addition to reliable coverage regardless of location.
The report analyzed a mid-sized European electric vehicle charging company with a turnover of €9 million and found that it could expect:
- 40% increase in revenues thanks to interoperability, i.e. the share of revenues from its customers using the charging stations of other electric vehicle suppliers.
- Approximately 15% reduction in annual monitoring costs, thanks to remote monitoring – saving time and effort associated with physical inspections.
- Faster response times to technical issues, improved uptime and customer experience, thanks to remote monitoring.
Other stakeholders also benefit. For example, a parking operator that owns connected charging stations can generate additional revenue through IoT interoperability.
“This report demonstrates the value of cellular IoT connectivity to keep up with the rapid growth of electric vehicle charging networks. Ericsson IoT Accelerator provides vital functionality including subscription lifestyle management, service and business information management – enabling EV charging providers to deploy, manage and scale their IoT-powered business from the ground up. ‘a single connectivity management platform,’ says Jess Thompson-Hughes, IoT Enterprise Sales Director, Energy and Utilities, Ericsson.
Olivier van Schap, CEO of Blue Corner, says: “Blue Corner has partnered with the Blink Charging Group in 2021 with the ambition to become a leading player in the European electric vehicle market in the short term. With a network of over 10,000 charging stations across Europe, we are working for a more sustainable society by reducing carbon emissions through innovative charging solutions. With our connectivity partner Orange Belgium and its IoT solutions powered by Ericsson IoT Accelerator, we can ensure that our charging stations are always connected and well maintained, enabling us to meet the needs of drivers today.
Werner de Laet, Chief Enterprise Officer, Orange Belgium, says: “We equip each charging station with a SIM card connecting the stations to a public cellular network, enabling real-time data transfer and asset management, providing the framework allowing Blue Corner to remotely manage their charging stations – one of the key factors in cost savings – and optimize performance based on the information provided by the data. »
With inevitable disruptions on the horizon, including the current energy crisis, the demand for electric vehicles has posed challenges for cities and governments as they struggle to meet the growing need to ensure the constant adoption of new infrastructure. Using cellular IoT, EV charging companies can manage complex ecosystems of stakeholders, from drivers to hardware vendors by enhancing network functionality, while simultaneously building a strong, future-proof foundation to scale their business. .
Electric vehicle charging providers and other ecosystem stakeholders can calculate the potential value of cellular IoT connectivity for their business using Ericsson Business Value Calculator.
Ericsson will present and discuss key findings from the study at Electric Vehicle World Congress 2022 EV World Congress 2022 in London from October 5-6.