EMSP - eMobility Service Providers
EMSPs are the digital backbone of the EV charging industry, bridging the gaps between hardware, payment protocols, CPOs, drivers and the energy grid.
EMSPs are the digital backbone of the EV charging industry, bridging the gaps between hardware, payment protocols, CPOs, drivers and the energy grid. Here’s how…
When EV drivers pull up to a charging station and top up their battery, they do so thanks to a few different players who all work behind the scenes to enable that infrastructure – eMobility Service Providers (EMSPs) being a key part of the puzzle.
But what do they actually do? And what does the EMSP EV future look like? Here’s everything you need to know…
What is an eMobility Service Provider (EMSP)?
You can think of an EMSP as being a bit like a cell phone carrier. If your phone is your car, and your data, texts and calls are the electricity you want it to receive, then an eMobility Service Provider is the network that enables that end-to-end connection.
In essence, they act as the connective body that enables the backend parts of the charging ecosystem, including payments, roaming, and network management.
So, is an ESMP different to a Charge Point Operator (CPO)? Well, yes, but they can sometimes be one and the same. While a CPO’s role is to manage and provide drivers with charging hardware, ESMPs act as the conduit between those stations and drivers.
Some CPOs do both – installing and managing charging hardware as well as enabling those behind-the-scenes handshakes between drivers and the energy grid.
What are the responsibilities of an eMobility Service Provider (EMSP)?
Let’s break things down a bit further by looking at each part of the charging process EMSPs look after:
- Network management and operation
EMSPs provide the software architecture that CPOs use to offer charging provisions. That means ensuring high network uptime, with robust connectivity between charging hardware, driver apps and the energy grid.
- Billing and payment solutions for EV drivers
EV drivers need to be sure that they can charge, pay and go without worry. A big part of an EMSP’s role is to enable that backend payment platform, which involves linking charging station hardware with driver accounts, handling payments in multiple currencies, and issuing invoices or receipts.
- Roaming agreements
When drivers head out of the country, it’s EMSPs that ensure charging remains a viable option. That requires roaming agreements that connect drivers’ charging app accounts with third-party providers, allowing for seamless charging and payment regardless of location.
- Data analysis and reporting
CPOs need access to operational data that can aid in fine-tuning their offering, adjusting pricing and setting their availability based on both real-time and historical insights. So EMSPs need to offer CPOs a digital platform that does just that – with the ability to track a wide range of metrics and provide a clear overview of all that data to help drive decision-making.
Benefits of partnering with an EMSP
Building a thriving charging network becomes a much simpler task when EMSPs and CPOs work together. The best charging provisions mix convenient, easy-to-use hardware with pioneering backend software – resulting in next-level infrastructure.
Here are a few key reasons why partnering with an eMobility Service Provider is a true no-brainer:
- Reduced complexity
If you’re a charge point operator, you probably just want to ensure that the tough stuff is being handled for you – letting you focus on fine-tuning your pricing and growing your network. EMSPs handle all the tricky software-based jobs, which means CPOs can focus on the business side of things.
- Cost optimisation tools
The software-based architecture that EMSPs provide usually includes data analytics and pricing tools that work in tandem to enable optimal revenue and economies of scale. Intelligent tariff options like Dynamic Pricing ensure that CPOs stay in profit, while time-specific settings can help incentivise charging throughout the day.
- Grid friendliness
Alongside smart pricing features, EMSPs also make it easier for CPOs to become a more proactive part of the energy grid, instead of a one-way draw on it. Features like Demand Response and Dynamic Load Balancing, for example, help adjust energy usage – and even give some back to the grid in exchange for financial remuneration.
- Scalability and future-proofing
The goal of any charging network should be to grow alongside EV driver demand. Any EMSP worth its salt should be able to enable that growth with future-proof scaling, and software solutions that can handle more users, charge points and payments without missing a beat.
- Driver apps
Most EMSPs offer driver-centric apps that help EV owners find (and connect to) charging stations near them – and most are agnostic in the sense that they list compatible chargers from first and third-party networks alike. For CPOs, the key benefit here is that their chargers will instantly show up in listings for an established network of thousands of drivers.
The future of eMobility services
So what’s coming next in this space? eMobility Service Providers need to be able to adapt and evolve, remotely deploying new features to any charge point operators they work with.
In the near future, more intelligent energy management superpowers like vehicle-to-grid (V2G) are going to revolutionise how CPOs and the energy grid interact – enabling a much more balanced partnership between the two – alongside new revenue streams for the former.
But that’s just one example. EMSPs are innately platform-based, which means they’re primed to be able to continually iterate and update. For CPOs and EV drivers alike, that means charging experiences that only get smarter and more streamlined, without needing to replace the charging hardware at the centre of the equation.
Spirii’s role in eMobility
Spirii is an end-to-end eMobility Service Provider that’s built for the flexible, scalable and platform-based future of charging. We work with hardware partners, CPOs, fleets and the EV industry to bring truly powerful charging to every part of the value chain.
You can learn more about our future-proof charging technology here.