Driving and recharging of electric vehicles will mainly be a software issue

The future of electric driving is not about charging stations or batteries, but about the quality of the software in electric ecosystems. So says André ten Bloemendal, Senior Vice President Europe at charge point company ChargePoint.

“The need for scalability is enormous, and it is not hardware-driven but software-driven. Product innovations are already happening so fast that standardization cannot keep up. The arrival of smart ecosystems and responsive software will lead to an increasingly user-friendly, more reliable and more efficient charging network. Yes, solutions must certainly be found for more and faster connections to the energy grid. But at the same time, the charging sector is fully engaged in developing smart software-driven infrastructures that allow us to do more with less electricity.”

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Heavy duty vehicles

According to Ten Bloemendaal, there will be important developments this year in the field of electrification of trucks. “Heavy duty vehicles must be in motion as much as possible and be able to load quickly at various locations throughout the country and across the border. Especially in a time of grid shortages, this calls for smart options for megawatt charging, roaming and fast charging, among other things. As an industry, we are well aware that trucks need their own charging infrastructure for this. We are therefore working hard behind the scenes on this, for example with the standardization of a new type of connector for quick refueling.”

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Software

Software innovation and the further development of electric trucks are just two aspects of the rise of electric driving. According to the company, 2023 will also be largely dominated by improving the electric driving and charging experience. The trends also show that, in addition to more grid capacity, standardization is an important goal for further progress.