Payment and Driver Management

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Fleets are accustomed to managing fuel expenses. With IC vehicles, drivers often use fuel cards or credit cards for fueling at public gas stations. With electric fleets, payment and fuel card processes change slightly, and in some cases, significantly.

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At Ampcontrol, we differentiate between two use cases: First, payment at public or 3rd-party sites. Second, payment at the fleet’s charging hubs for contractors and external drivers.

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Offering Paid Access at Your Hub

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More fleets are now opening charging station access beyond their own drivers. They permit contractors to charge vehicles when parked at their hub and form partnerships with other companies to allow access during certain hours. This approach helps fleet operators generate additional revenue and lower the total cost of ownership (TCO).

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A common use case involves logistics and F&B companies that frequently work with vendors for delivery and pickup. Warehouse owners assist these vendors in electrifying their vehicles by offering charging station access at warehouse locations. This practice is becoming more common, creating new partnerships and relationships.

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A potential solution is to install either payment terminals or an invoice system that tracks all charging sessions per vehicle or user. The costs of these sessions are then invoiced or instantly debited to the vehicle owner. Modern charging management systems (CMS) often include integrated functionalities or have integrations with payment solutions.

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Payment at Public Charging Hubs

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Some vehicles need more than just depot charging. For transit buses, companies are installing opportunity chargers within cities. However, most fleets need to utilize existing public charging networks for on-route charging.

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To reduce monthly fuel costs, it's advisable to avoid public charging whenever possible, as these energy costs can be 4-8 times higher than sourcing energy at your own hub. When using public spaces, fleets can either enter agreements with specific partners to ensure charger availability and custom energy rates or allow drivers to charge on an ad-hoc basis as needed.

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For ad-hoc charging, most chargers have mobile apps that may require user accounts. Only a few have credit card terminals or offer seamless non-app payments without requiring user registration.

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Technical Implementation

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Many electric fleets charge exclusively at depot locations, known as “behind the fence” sites. However, depot owners may allow third-party partners to charge at their facilities. Common use cases for third-party access include the following.

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• Contractors operating part or all of the fleet and covering fuel costs
• Vendors delivering goods who need to charge before leaving
• Local partners or other fleets in the region using the depot
• Employees or individuals charging personal EVs at the site

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Regardless of the use case, they all require precise tracking of charging sessions and payment options to process transactions between companies or individuals.

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Depot managers benefit in many ways by allowing access to their charging stations. First, the stations generate additional revenue, increasing ROI for the infrastructure. Second, by providing easy access, the fleet operator supports partners, employees, or vendors in electrifying their vehicles. 

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When offering public or semi-public charging at the depot, the owner must implement access control and payment systems for drivers. Given the various use cases, a wide range of options should be considered, as detailed below.

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RFID Cards for EV Fleet Tracking

Electric fleets often require simple authentication methods for drivers or vehicles, enabling the system to track who charges, when, and how much energy is used. With a charging management system (CMS) in place, adding RFID cards or chips is a good solution. Drivers authenticate themselves at the charger using RFID tags, which are communicated to the CMS (as “idTag”), registering the charging session under the driver or user.

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This method is one of the simplest and most cost-effective implementations. It allows the charging point owner to restrict access by blocking certain RFID cards or limiting access to a select few. Unauthorized users won’t be able to initiate charging.

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While this approach is ideal for basic authorization, it isn’t suitable for more advanced driver-facing payment functionality.

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MAC Address Authentication for Fleet Vehicles

Similar to RFID cards, a vehicle's MAC address takes care of registration at a charging site. Each vehicle has a unique MAC address, which can serve as the vehicle identification number (VIN). DC charging stations capture this unique identifier and relay it to the CMS, which uses it for authentication and authorization, much like an RFID card.

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However, this method isn’t applicable to AC chargers, which have fewer communication options. In such cases, fleets can use RFID card readers or other alternatives.

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Fuel Cards for Electric Fleets

Fuel cards function in a similar way to RFID cards, but offer integrated payment options and partnerships with fuel networks. Providers have a larger network of EV chargers or collaborate with charging point operators (CPOs). Transactions are processed through the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI).

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Fuel cards come with accounts and payment services, allowing companies to automatically handle payments between drivers and the charging depot. They can also restrict access to select partners if needed. For drivers, the fuel card works like a credit card, and for charging station owners, it generates additional revenue with minimal manual effort.

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Credit Card Terminals for Depot Sites

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When a fleet charging site is opened up to a broader or public audience, drivers often prefer familiar payment methods, like credit cards.

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The most effective way to enable credit card payments is to install payment terminals alongside chargers. Alternatively you can use EV chargers with integrated terminals (though this is less common). Drivers can authorize charging sessions by tapping their card on the terminal, and charges are applied at the end of the session.

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While credit card payments are complex and prone to malfunctions, when properly implemented, they allow users to pay with Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and other options. This flexibility allows broad access with minimal effort from the driver. Corporate card use also eliminates the need for end-of-month reimbursements.

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Mobile Apps for Pubic Charging Access

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Many fleet operators are considering mobile apps for easier access control and payment options. iOS, Android, and web apps allow better tracking of individual users, enhance the experience for recurring users, and integrate corporate branding into payment and access control systems for charging stations.

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However, mobile apps also introduce another layer of complexity and potential errors, especially with customization. As a result, they may not always be ideal for fleet operators unless the app is intended for use across multiple sites and chargers. In such cases, the investment in app development might be worthwhile.

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Key features of mobile apps include user profiles, session monitoring, remote start/stop functionality, and user history. More advanced options may include discount codes, special user groups, and other features.

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Software Implementation for EV Fleet Charging Sites

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All the options discussed above require some sort of software implementation to link charging session data with payment processing and driver experience. In some cases, it is simple and takes just a few hours or days (e.g., RFID cards), while others, like mobile apps, are more complex and require weeks of planning and development. Even off-the-shelf applications need a few days for customization and activation.

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A common interface for connecting charging software with third-party providers (e.g., payments) is OCPI. OCPI is an API-based standard used to link systems like CPOs and eMSPs. Widely adopted in Europe and now globally, OCPI is similar to OCPP. Alternatives include non-standard APIs and PubSub applications, which require more customization but are often easier to integrate when OCPI isn’t available.

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