vCharM: Enterprise-Grade Charging Station Management System
vCharM is a charging and load management back-end. It is designed to operate many charging points at high availability. Once a charging station has been connected to vCharM, each charging point can be conveniently configured, monitored and controlled.
The software can be used to cover a variety of cases: It can be applied to manage charging points and vehicles in fleets, depots or parking lots, either as a stand-alone software or integrated into an existing fleet or depot management system. In addition, it can also be used for the installation and maintenance of charging points. Depending on the use case the features will be configured.
Advantages
- Charging station manufacturer-independent solution using standardized communication protocol OCPP 1.6J, OCPP 2.0 and OCPP 2.0.1
- Optimized for fleet operators, e.g. bus depots, special vehicle fleets, company vehicle pools, car parks and other electric vehicle fleets
- Optimized load management for vehicles with and without smart charging according to ISO 15118 and DIN 70121
- Connection to fleet management system for automated exchange of vehicle data
- Vehicle authorization via RFID, PnC, Autocharge and other methods
- Control of vehicle preconditioning via Value-Added-Service according to VDV 261
The Starter Kit
Our Starter Kit especially tailored for home office!
Start Developing and Operating your Charging Stations with our Starter Kit:
- 2 vSECC units with 1 CCS interface each
- 6-month test license for our Charging Station Management System vCharM
- 20 hours support (hotline)
- Coaching via webinars or individual sessions
- Getting started documentation, manuals and necessary files
- Optional: 6-week test license for CANoe
- Optional: Linux notebook and power supply
- Refund for returned hardware within trial period possible
Functions
Load Management
Manage load consumption dynamically with configurable charging strategies
Load management is required at the latest when the total power of the charging stations exceeds the available installed power. However, costs can also be saved beforehand by avoiding peak loads at individual charging stations. The operator decides on the prioritization of the charging processes by selecting the charging strategy that suits best.
Charging Station Control
Monitor, configure and control charging stations via OCCP 1.6J and OCPP 2.0
Charging points can be configured, monitored and controlled via the user interface. Guided dialogs support the operator in his various tasks. In case of problems with a charging session, the operator is notified and supported in failure diagnosis. Communication with the charging station is via the manufacturer-independent OCPP protocol.
Vehicle Preconditioning
Monitor and control individual vehicle preconditioning via the implementation of Value-Added-Services
The control of the preconditioning of electric buses was standardized by the Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV) as a Value-Added-Service. vCharM supports the VDV 261 specification and offers various control interfaces.
Vehicle Authorization
Manage and verify vehicle authorization requests
Various methods are available for the authorization of charging sessions. vCharM supports established technologies such as RFID chips and Autocharge. It is also prepared for future vehicles with ISO 15118 Plug&Charge functionality.
Reports
Generate and analyze reports with statistics of finished charging sessions
Reports with statistics on completed charging operations can be created for various purposes. Pre-defined reports can be customized and exported if desired.
Fleet Management
Automate data exchange with your fleet management system
Existing fleet and depot management systems can be integrated via an automated data interface and used for optimized load management or pre-conditioning control. Fleet and depot management systems can use vCharM data for their own purposes, e.g. for availability display. Further tools can also be integrated, such as a maintenance ticket system.
Clearing
Log transactional data of charging sessions in law-conform manner
Meter readings are centrally recorded and processed. The data is made available for billing transactions. The meter readings can be protected against manipulation by a digital signature in order to meet the requirements of the new calibration law.
User Interface
Use vCharM from a browser-based frontend with a modern and intuitive user experience
A browser-based interface allows the user access to all functions. The views are adapted to the respective user role. The interface is available in different languages. An HTTPs connection secures the access.
System Architecture
The vCharM architecture provides a REST interface for the integration into other management systems. The exchanged data can be used to optimize the charging sessions and the operational business.
Hosting Variants
vCharM can be operated on-premises or in the cloud, depending on the customer requirements. It is even possible to combine the benefits of both models and operate vCharM in a hybrid mode.
Supported Standards
- OCPP 1.6J, OCPP 2.0 and OCPP 2.0.1
- VAS/VDV 261
- ISO 15118
- DIN 70121
- IEC 61851
- IEC 63110 (planned)
Smart Charging with ISO 15118
The protocols ISO 15118 and OCPP 2.0 provide a comprehensive interface to control the power consumption of charging procedures for electric vehicles. vCharM uses these mechanisms to adhere to physical limits of the infrastructure as well as to guarantee the ideal scheduling of charging sessions.
A load management algorithm depends highly on the charging environment and the customer needs. vCharM offers different algorithms, each optimized for a specific use-case. This enables the usage of vCharM in different application areas, e.g. for bus depots, special vehicle fleets, company vehicles pools, car parks and other EV fleets.
Downloads
vCharM Fact Sheet
Get an overview on the benefits and the technical specifications.
