Charger monitoring and maintenance

EV Charger Monitoring

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EV chargers are at the core of charging site operations. Ground operators and facility managers need to know their charging stations in and out. If you get your charger operations running well, then your fleet will be more reliable and on time. If you get it wrong, then your fleet becomes a  problem.

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Charging stations need at least as much attention as EVs. They need to be regularly inspected, repaired, and updated, which requires access to reliable equipment data and info. Charger monitoring helps your team to see:

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• Utilization data
• Error information
• General equipment data (voltage, power, etc.)

While physical inspections by on-site operators are important, most activities can be done remotely. This means a small team can monitor multiple sites across various locations without too much difficulty. With this, fleet companies spend less on complex training for distributed teams. It also means that ground ops can focus activities that demand their physical presence. 

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The best way to enable remote monitoring is through using a charging management system (CMS). A CMS is a piece of software that connects to EV chargers via the internet. It stays in permanent communication with the equipment, monitoring uptime, consumption data, and more. It also allows users to remotely control and troubleshoot the charger.

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In recent years, the industry defined several important elements of charger monitoring for fleets:

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• Connectivity of EV charger to the CMS
• Availability of EV charging plugs
• Charger equipment error messages
• Driver information for payments
• Vehicle information for fleet operation
• Energy data (power, voltage, etc.)

Charger O&M and 24/7 Help Desk

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When an issue arises with a charging station and the operator identifies it through monitoring software, the team has to troubleshoot and fix the EV charger as quickly as possible. The longer a charger remains faulty or malfunctioning, the greater the risk of fleet delays. Even if the fleet operator can use other chargers, there's a high chance that those too might already be affected or may soon go out of service.

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Fleet operators often aim to have a faulty charger up and running again within a few hours, as every minute counts. Our 24/7 hardware monitoring team collaborates with logistics companies at fulfillment centers and last-mile sites, where even 30 minutes of downtime can cause delays for the morning shift. To ensure a prompt response, the market categorizes support into different tiers: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. The first response comes from the Tier 1 team, with the final escalation handled by the Tier 3 team.

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Tier 1 support is usually a call center with operators working in a follow-the-sun model. This means someone is available 24/7 to receive calls from drivers or ground staff facing charging issues. The Tier 1 team also receives alerts from the CMS system, such as error messages from connected equipment or fleet vehicles. They typically resolve simple errors or advise on equipment usage, but are not equipped to handle complex technical problems. When necessary, they escalate the issue to Tier 2 for further investigation.

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Tier 2 support helps with technical problems that Tier 1 couldn’t resolve. At this stage, the EV charger might still be non-operational or only partially functioning, which can lead to fleet delays or other operational risks. The Tier 2 team is generally more experienced and trained to read charger logs, review broader outages, and consult with support engineers. Most issues that Tier 1 couldn’t fix are resolved at this level, allowing the electric fleet to continue operating. In addition to using the CMS, the Tier 2 team has access to more advanced tools and functionalities. 

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Tier 3 support is usually the highest level. This team consists of electricians, engineers, and EV charging experts who are dispatched to the site, have access to spare parts, and handle the most complex or critical issues. While Tier 1 and Tier 2 may operate 24/7, Tier 3 often requires several hours to dispatch. In cases where the electric fleet has access to a local team, they can be onsite within a few hours. However, typical dispatch times range from 2 to 6 hours, and in some instances, it can take up to 24 hours or even days

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This O&M process is crucial to the success of EV fleets. While fleet solutions like this can be costly, they are essential for maintaining high-quality operations.

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