How our client built their EV charging service using the Switch API

A round up of 2022 and what’s to come

Charging Communication with ISO 15118 (July 2022)

Charli Charging is a US based EV charging network and turnkey charge point operator building their new flagship product Charli 2.0 using the unique flexibility and extensibility of the Switch software model.

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Based in Portland Oregon, Charli Charging was founded in 2019 with the mission to simplify the process of installing and operating an EV charging network for site owners. Their low-cost, turnkey EV charging solutions enable real estate and fleet asset managers to deploy EV charging infrastructure at scale.

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In 2023 Charli Charging became a Switch customer in order to enable compliance with various funding requirements and to streamline reporting requirements for their existing utility grant-funded projects. Using an OCPP agnostic and certified CSMS like the Switch Platform was essential for Charli Charging to have confidence in operating various charging station hardware models in their national network.

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Switch and Charli Charging underwent a short project scoping exercise and Charli Charging was then able to integrate with the Switch APIs within 2 months. The integration was a key learning activity leading to improvements for future clients, for example rapid establishment of a Slack channel for developer communication is now a priority for all Switch API integration projects. API documentation is also being improved and will be released publicly in 2024.

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Charli Charging uses the OCPP protocol module to connect their hardware-agnostic network of charging stations in a simple, unified way. They then use the Switch API to interact with these stations using a common interface, monitoring session logs and receiving real-time updates enabled by Switch's technology. They also benefit from the included user interface, benefiting both from the Switch API for use in their mobile app and the Switch Platform interface for monitoring of the network.

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The Switch Platform allows Charli Charging the flexibility they need to implement their UX and billing system while saving time and resource on development and maintenance of protocols. Regulatory compliance and other technical requirements are also included in the Switch software stack, saving Charli Charging more time on compliance.

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Switch allows us to integrate our tech stack with ease and efficiency. The close collaboration and communication between teams, combined with the collective knowledge of OCPP, provides us the ability to make improvements and changes as needed. I’d confidently say that things work swiftly because of that integral collaboration+knowledge equation.

— Marcelo Spina, CTO at Charli Charging

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You can read more about Charli 2.0 on the Charli Charging website here: https://www.charlicharging.com/blog/introducing-charli-20-revolutionizing-ev-charging-with-our-new-app-and-website

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Switch and Charli Charging will both be at MOVE America from September 24-25 in Austin Texas. Visit them at the Charli Charging booth S1 or email marc@switch-ev.com to set up a meeting.

Chad Meadowcroft

Chad is a technical product manager with over 5 years experience in e-mobility software. He previously worked at Shell Recharge as a Data Engineer and joined Switch in 2021 as a software developer before moving into product delivery and helping bring both Josev and the Switch Platform to market.

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Chad Meadowcroft

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