ChargePoint NOC, Proactive Network Monitoring Seek to Boost EV Charging Station Uptime

ChargePoint is deploying new networking, machine learning and proactive monitoring technologies that aim to boost electric vehicle (EV) charging station reliability to "nearly 100%, once fully implemented," the company said.

The ChargePoint EV charging effort includes:

• A new Network Operations Center (NOC), which went live in July 2023. The NOC supports 24/7 proactive monitoring across integrated network hardware and software that ChargePoint designs. The NOC allows ChargePoint to "alert station owners in the event of a charging station issue and enables ChargePoint to accelerate maintenance and repairs on their behalf."
• Machine learning and natural language processing capabilities that will "automatically process big data feeds, and social media mentions to pinpoint individual charging stations with issues."
• A training and certification program for electrical contractors who work with EV charging infrastructure. The training and certification programs are expected to launch in early 2024.

ChargePoint's network has roughly 243,000 active charging ports plus roaming partners.

ChargePoint vs. Tesla Supercharger Network Reliability: Read the Fine Print

ChargePoint presently delivers approximately 96% uptime on average across its entire public network in North America and Europe. ChargePoint Assure customers receive a 98% annual station uptime guarantee. Meanwhile, the Tesla Supercharger network -- which multiple EV companies plan to embrace -- delivered 99.95% uptime in 2022.

Still, it's important to put those uptime figures in proper context.

• The Tesla definition states: "Uptime of Supercharger sites reflects the average percentage of sites globally that had at least 50% of their daily capacity functional for the year."
• In contrast, ChargePoint measures station uptime as the portion of time each individual charging port is working -- not averaged across a bank of charging stations at a single address.
• The result: Tesla's uptime definition appears to be looser and less stringent compared to ChargePoint's definition.

In a prepared statement about the uptime strategy, ChargePoint Chief Customer and Operations Officer Rick Wilmer said: “Accessible, reliable EV charging plays a critical role in the ongoing shift to electric mobility, and our Network Operations Center is prepared to ensure reliability at scale in support of EV adoption. We believe that our methodology of calculating uptime is the most transparent in the industry, and the most relevant to drivers which provides us with the necessary benchmark to build upon. We are improving the charging experience across the entire ecosystem – network, installer, site host, and app user – to ensure every driver who needs a charge has the best possible charging experience.”

Financial Performance, Business Growth

Although competition continues to intensify, ChargePoint has continued to grow. For its Q1 of fiscal 2024, ChargePoint said:

• Revenue was $130 million, up 59% from Q1 of fiscal 2023.
• GAAP net loss was $79.4, down from an $89.3 million net loss in Q1 of fiscal 2023.

ChargePoint, based in Campbell, California, announced the Q1 fiscal 2024 results in June 2023.

The company, founded in 2007, has roughly 1,700 employees listed on LinkedIn as of August 2023.