To improve the electric vehicle (EV) driver experience, EV Connect and Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group, have announced the completion of the driver roaming integration between the companies’ charging networks. EV Connect smartphone application users can locate, initiate sessions, and pay for charging at Greenlots/EV Connect stations later this year.
Jordan Ramer, EV Connect CEO, says the company uses open standards to improve range confidence. Ramer says the partnership with Greenlots significantly contributes to that effort.
“We were thrilled to see Greenlots charging stations appear in the EV Connect app and that our respective users will be able to enjoy the convenience of so many more charging opportunities without having to install and configure yet another app,” Ramer says.
HOW IT WORKS
EV Connect and Greenlots will use the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) standard for seamless communications between the two networks. The OCPI standard enables communication among charging networks and makes it possible to establish highly functional, cross-network roaming. This is possible without charge station hardware upgrades or extensive rework of network software. This allows customers to use Greenlots and EV Connect stations through either network’s app without additional sign-ups, fees, or markups. Combining the two networks will improve EV driver confidence, providing access to thousands more EV charging stations across North America.
“The once-fragmented EV charging industry continues to mature and accelerate towards delivering a seamless charging experience,” says Jeff Tolnar, Greenlots chief revenue officer. “This roaming agreement is further evidence. We believe that the Open Charge Point Interface is critical to serving the surging customer demand for EV charging. The entire EV industry benefits when drivers can charge their EVs without the burden of managing multiple accounts or worrying about complicated surcharges.”
Find out more about Greenlots or EV Connect, download the apps on the App Store or Google Play.
