CPO - Charge Point Operator

When EV drivers need to charge up at work, at the shops, or on the motorway, they’ll usually be doing so thanks to a Charge Point Operator (CPO) who owns and manages the charge points on offer.

But what does the role of a CPO actually entail? And why are they such an important part of EV adoption? Here’s your guide to all things CPO – including how smarter technology is helping make things simpler for both sides of the charging equation…

What is a Charge Point Operator (CPO)?

Ok, so let’s start with the big, obvious question: what exactly is a CPO? 

You can think of a Charge Point Operator as the main facilitator of EV charging – especially when that charge is being done away from the driver’s home. That might be at a service station, at a shop, or just at the side of a public street – whatever the case, there’ll be a person or company offering that charge.

In that sense, CPOs act a bit like your phone network operator or energy provider; they’re the body offering the service, where the service in question is EV charging. There are three kinds of CPOs that you’re likely to encounter:

Public CPOs

Public CPOs manage charging networks that anyone can access. Usually, that’ll be in places like service stations, as well as public parking lots (at shopping malls, for example), as well as roadside public charging points.

Private CPOs

A private CPO owns and operates a charging network meant for one specific user base, on private property. Examples here might be residential complexes, charging points at an office meant only for that building’s workforce, or fleet CPOs who manage the charging hardware for commercial vehicles like taxis, delivery vans or trucks.

Roaming CPOs

Roaming-centric CPOs enable drivers to charge internationally. That’s usually handled through behind-the-scenes roaming deals that bridge various charging partners. For drivers, these roaming partnerships are usually accessed via membership plans or bespoke payment systems.

EV Roaming explained: 

Learn about the ins and outs of international EV charging

Role and responsibilities: What does a CPO do? 

Ok, so a Charge Point Operator ‘enables charging’ – but what does that entail? There are several key facets to the role of CPO, beginning with charger installation and extending to every part of a charging network’s day-to-day management. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Station installation and maintenance

It all starts with hardware and software. CPOs usually partner with a charge point management system provider – like Spirii – to install chargers and hook them up to a live software platform that can help them manage each charger’s status (and troubleshoot if anything goes wrong).

Today’s charging industry relies on smart charging – that means intelligently connected chargers that can be diagnosed and controlled remotely, and charging networks that form a kind of symbiosis with the energy grid. 

As such, installing chargers is a process that usually starts with auditing the best charge point management systems, rather than simply choosing hardware.

Network management

That charge point management system will help CPOs manage the day-to-day. So that’s ensuring solid uptime for one thing, as well as setting and adjusting pricing tariffs for charging and working in partnership with the energy grid via features like Demand Response. 

User experience

CPOs will also use their software platform to onboard new users, set chargers to public or private, and issue charging keys or discount vouchers to specific drivers. If they’re managing private chargers at drivers’ homes, then they’ll also handle charger installation and maintenance. For public charging, their role is to enable seamless, simple charging and payment.

Data analysis

Lastly, the digital nature of modern charging means there’s no shortage of data for CPOs to rifle through and use to their advantage. 

As well as keeping an eye on energy usage, they’ll also be able to use their analytics to fine-tune pricing and opening hours to ensure that they’re maximising the use of their chargers, driving a consistent profit, and incentivising charging throughout the day.

What challenges do CPOs face?

Because being a Charge Point Operator is a multifaceted job, there are a few key challenges to keep on top of. These potential pitfalls come under a few unique buckets:

Profits

On top of the upfront cost of installing chargers, CPOs also have to think about electricity costs. So it’s important that they can drive a profit above and beyond the cost of that raw energy. The simplest way to handle this is to use dynamic pricing – a charge point management software feature that allows CPOs to automatically adjust tariff prices to keep a specific margin above energy costs.

Energy and infrastructure

As the transition to electric vehicles continues, the onus is on CPOs to ensure that their technology becomes a proactive part of the energy grid, rather than a drain on it. Emerging technology – like Demand Response and Vehicle-2-Grid – is the answer here; they help turn charging infrastructure into a resource that can give back to the grid, and help generate extra revenue for CPOs in the process.

Ensuring uptime

If you run a public charging business, your number one concern is that drivers can find and use your chargers. Once again, with the right software, CPOs can remotely manage, diagnose and fix charger issues – while the ability to adjust pricing based on data insights can help incentivise charging at typically under-subscribed times.

Sensing a pattern? That’s probably because the answers to these challenges all have a lot in common; when CPOs run into issues, they’re almost always solved through their network’s charge point management system. 

Building a charging network on the back of an intelligent, interconnected software platform is what separates chargers that act as blunt instruments from ones that can actually empower both CPOs and drivers. 

Benefits of CPOs for EV adoption

Charge Point Operators are the lynchpin of EV adoption. Sure, we’d be nowhere without the drivers switching to electric vehicles – and the regulations encouraging them to do so – but it’s CPOs that make the day-to-day practicalities of EV driving manageable. 

And they do so in two important ways:

Growing EV infrastructure

The more CPOs there are, the more charging points there are for drivers. Regardless of size, each CPO forms part of an ever-growing network of chargers. And that has a cumulative effect: more chargers means more people become likely to switch to electric, and that, in turn, incentivises more CPOs to deploy yet more chargers.

Deploying new technology

Software-based charge point management systems allow CPOs to continually deploy new features and technology that make owning and driving an EV simpler and more convenient. That ever-improving user experience is a powerful way to motivate more and more drivers to make the switch.

How Spirii helps CPOs succeed

Spirii offers a robust, end-to-end charge point management solution that delivers everything tomorrow’s CPOs need to succeed. Ours is a platform built for the future, delivering intelligent pricing and data features, simple onboarding, easy management and market-leading charger uptime.

But Spirii is much more than just smart software. We also act as a trusted, fully-embedded partner – with 24/7 support, advice, and bespoke solutions for every kind of Charge Point Operator.

Learn more and Find out how we help CPOs design, deploy and scale their EV ambitions

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