Both electric vehicles (EV) and EV charge points are experiencing rapid growth in the UK. However, open access for EV drivers to multiple charge point networks - a concept called EV roaming - remains a challenge. To tackle the issue, Miralis Data and the Share&Charge Foundation have now partnered up to implement EV roaming in the UK on the Open Charging Network. Miralis Data will connect their upcoming Fuuse charge point management platform to the Open Charging Network. In turn, this will allow other industry players to more easily connect with each other via the open-source software to make OCPI based EV roaming simple, secure and cost-efficient.
Electric vehicles (EV) are gaining momentum in the United Kingdom with registrations of battery electric vehicles up 176% on last year*. This trend is supported by over 18,000 public charge points across the country. Allowing EV drivers to access all those stations wherever they want to charge - a concept called EV roaming - is a challenge that is only recently being tackled by leading industry players, increasingly by using the de-facto standard for interoperability, the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol.
Miralis Data, an innovative software provider in electric vehicles, charge point management and logistics based in Lancaster, has partnered with the Share&Charge Foundation to jointly promote and provide interoperability in the UK. Miralis is currently Beta testing its charge point management platform Fuuse with partners across the UK ready for launch at the end of 2020. By using the Open Charging Network, an open source software that reduces costs for all parties implementing the OCPI protocol, Miralis Data is convinced that its Charge Point Operator and eMobility Service Provider platform can efficiently be connected to other industry players. Dan Lucy-Lloyd, Product Director for electric vehicles at Miralis Data commented, “Not only is the Open Charging Network ideologically aligned with what we are trying to achieve in the UK, but we also think there are huge commercial opportunities for us down this route.” To accelerate the adoption of EV roaming in the UK, Miralis Data is now seeking other industry players to connect via the Open Charging Network.
“We are very happy to see Miralis Data joining our efforts for seamless electric vehicle charging. The UK is a very promising market for EV roaming based on the Open Charging Network as many players are just deciding on how to technically implement EV roaming”, says Dietrich Sümmermann, Chairman of the non-profit Share&Charge Foundation. The Open Charging Network is an innovation that partly came from the UK charging industry. It was developed based on learnings that the Share&Charge Foundation team made in its pilot together with Volkswagen Financial Services and three Charge Point Operators from the UK in 2018. Since the launch of the Open Charging Network in March 2020 it has helped other industry players in the UK to develop their OCPI interface.
Both organisations are looking forward to further adoption of the OCPI protocol and the Open Charging Network in the UK and invite others to join.
* Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders smmt.co.uk. July 2020.
About Miralis Data:
Miralis Data is a software development and consultancy firm dedicated to reducing carbon emissions in transport, logistics and supply chains. The company is launching its Fuuse charge point management platform later this year and is working on a number of grant-funded and commercial projects around smart charging, energy management, roaming and EV routing that will be offered as part of its platform.
About the Share&Charge Foundation:
The Share&Charge Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation. Supported by strong members from the e-mobility industry, its purpose is to enable open innovation for a better electric vehicle charging experience. For this, the Foundation is curating the “Open Charging Network” – an open source software solution for simple, cost-efficient and secure eRoaming based on the OCPI protocol.