Industrial Cellular Routers for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
remote monitoring, data analytics, and integration with smart grids.
Industrial cellular routers are widely used in the management and monitoring of EV charging stations
To ensure reliable connectivity, remote monitoring, data analytics, and maintenance.
Reliable Connectivity
- Remote Locations: Many EV chargers are installed in locations where wired internet connections may be unavailable or unreliable, such as highway rest stops or parking lots. Industrial cellular routers can provide consistent and reliable connectivity via 4G/5G networks, ensuring that chargers remain online.
- Redundancy: Cellular routers can serve as a backup to wired connections, offering failover capabilities. This ensures that even in case of internet outages, the EV charger remains operational.
Real-time Monitoring & Maintenance:
- Remote Monitoring: Cellular routers enable manufacturers to monitor the status and performance of chargers in real-time, diagnosing and resolving issues remotely without the need for onsite visits. This improves efficiency and reduces maintenance costs.
- Remote Firmware Updates: Manufacturers can push remote firmware updates to EV chargers, ensuring they always have the latest security patches and performance enhancements.
Data Collection & Analytics:
- Usage Data: Industrial routers facilitate the transfer of usage data, which manufacturers can use to analyze charger performance, customer usage patterns, and optimize operational efficiency.
- Predictive Maintenance: By monitoring the operational data, manufacturers can implement predictive maintenance, identifying potential issues before they result in charger downtime.
Flexibility and Scalability:
- Easy Deployment: Industrial cellular routers allow for flexible deployment options, making it easier to install and move chargers as demand evolves. Cellular connectivity is especially useful for temporary or mobile charging stations at events or construction sites.
- Network Scalability: As the number of deployed EV chargers grows, manufacturers can easily expand their network without worrying about laying additional cabling or setting up extensive physical infrastructure.
Cost-Efficiency:
- Reduced Infrastructure Costs: Cellular connectivity eliminates the need for expensive physical infrastructure, like fiber optics or wired connections, especially in remote areas. This can significantly reduce installation and operational costs.
- Centralized Management: With cellular routers, manufacturers can manage a large network of chargers from a central location, reducing the need for manual intervention and allowing for scalable operations.
Enhanced Security:
- Secure Communications: Industrial cellular routers often come with built-in security features, including VPNs, firewalls, and encrypted communication protocols, helping to secure sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access to the chargers.
- Segmentation: Routers can segment network traffic, isolating sensitive operations from other network functions, further enhancing security.
Global interoperability with Smart Grid integrations
Industrial cellular routers enable communication between EV chargers and smart grids.
This integration allows for better load management, demand response, and energy optimization, benefiting both the power grid and the EV charging infrastructure.
Applications & Examples
Industrial cellular routers are widely used in the management and monitoring of EV (electric vehicle) charging stations to ensure reliable connectivity, remote monitoring, data analytics, and maintenance. Here are some specific examples of how they are utilized:
Application: Industrial cellular routers are used to provide real-time connectivity to remotely monitor and control the performance of EV charging stations, especially in locations where wired internet is unavailable or impractical.
Example: A major EV charging network in the U.S., such as ChargePoint or EVgo, uses cellular routers to enable remote monitoring of their stations. The routers help collect and transmit data on charging sessions, station availability, and equipment performance to central management platforms. This data allows the network to optimize station uptime and improve the customer experience.
Application: Utilities and charging operators use industrial cellular routers to implement dynamic pricing and load management at EV charging stations based on real-time demand and grid conditions.
Example: A leading European EV charging company, uses industrial cellular routers to connect its charging stations to its cloud platform. This connectivity allows them to adjust pricing based on peak and off-peak times, as well as manage load balancing to prevent grid overload during periods of high demand.
Application: Cellular routers allow for remote firmware and software updates of EV charging stations, ensuring that stations remain secure and up-to-date without the need for onsite visits.
Example: Tesla’s Supercharger network uses industrial cellular routers to push over-the-air (OTA) updates to its charging stations. This ensures that stations can receive security patches, performance enhancements, and new features remotely, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming maintenance trips.
Application: EV charging stations often rely on cellular routers to enable real-time communication with payment and authentication systems, allowing users to pay for charging sessions via mobile apps, RFID cards, or credit cards.
Example: A public charging network like Blink Charging uses cellular routers to connect its stations to payment gateways and user authentication systems. When a driver taps their RFID card or uses a mobile app to start a charging session, the station communicates with the cloud via the cellular router to verify payment and authenticate the user.
Application: Industrial cellular routers facilitate the collection and transmission of usage data, which EV charging operators can analyze to optimize station performance, energy efficiency, and customer service.
Example: Greenlots, an EV charging network in North America, uses cellular routers to gather data from its stations, such as energy usage, charging patterns, and station performance. This data is analyzed to improve operational efficiency, optimize energy consumption, and plan future station deployments based on usage trends.
Application: EV fleet operators, such as ride-sharing services or delivery companies, use industrial cellular routers to monitor and manage charging stations installed at depots or employee parking lots.
Example: Amazon, which operates an EV delivery fleet, uses cellular routers in the charging stations at its depots to track the charging status and schedule of its electric delivery vans. The routers enable real-time communication between the fleet management system and the charging stations, allowing Amazon to ensure that its vehicles are fully charged and ready for deployment.
Application: Industrial cellular routers are used to connect off-grid or remote charging stations to the cloud, where other forms of internet connectivity (e.g., fiber or Wi-Fi) are not feasible.
Example: Ionity, a European ultra-fast charging network, has installed off-grid charging stations along highways in remote areas. These stations use industrial cellular routers to provide the necessary connectivity for managing charging sessions, updating station firmware, and transmitting data back to the central system.
Application: Some EV charging stations are paired with renewable energy sources (like solar panels or wind turbines). Industrial cellular routers allow for communication between the EV charging infrastructure, the renewable energy source, and the grid.
Example: Envision Solar, which provides solar-powered EV charging stations, uses industrial cellular routers to manage communication between the solar panels, the battery storage system, and the charging infrastructure. The routers help monitor energy generation and usage, ensuring that renewable energy is optimally used to charge electric vehicles.
Application: Industrial cellular routers are used in mobile or temporary EV charging stations deployed for events or during emergencies. These stations rely on cellular connectivity to communicate with the central management platform.
Example: EV charging companies like FreeWire deploy mobile charging units at events or for disaster relief operations. These mobile units are equipped with industrial cellular routers to provide real-time monitoring and data transmission, even in areas where fixed charging stations or wired internet connections are not available.
Application: Cellular routers provide secure VPN connections, firewalls, and encryption to protect EV charging stations from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
Example: ChargePoint uses industrial cellular routers with integrated security features to protect its charging stations from potential cyberattacks. The secure connection established by the cellular routers ensures that data transmitted between the stations and the cloud management platform is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access.
Application: Fleets that operate multiple EV chargers at depots use industrial cellular routers to manage load balancing, scheduling, and reporting for large-scale EV charger networks.
Example: DHL, a global logistics company, uses cellular routers in its fleet depots to manage the charging of its electric delivery vehicles. The routers connect the charging stations to a central fleet management system, allowing for load optimization and scheduling based on the vehicles’ operational needs.