What does EMSP stand for?
EMSP stands for E-Mobility Service Provider. An E-Mobility Service Provider can be described as a company or organisation that provides EV drivers with access to a charge point network within a particular geographic location.
In other words, E-Mobility Service Providers make life easier for EV drivers by giving them the opportunity to charge their vehicles in different networks across the world.
To achieve that, an EMSP relies on a mobile app and the web. By using the app, electric car drivers can easily connect to the charge point network, locate the nearest available charge points and eventually pay for the EV charging service they receive.
In many cases, users can also benefit from various discounts offered by an EMSP and talk directly with the company if they are in need of help.
What is the role of an EMSP (E-Mobility Service Provider)?
The responsibilities of EMSPs spread across almost every aspect of the EV charging process. However, their number one priority is the experience of the customer. In other words, they try to make EV charging as simple and straightforward as possible.
More specifically, they primarily focus on ensuring that EV drivers have access to a wide range of charge points when they are in need of charging their electric vehicle.
With the help of a mobile app or a web portal, EV drivers can locate all available charge points close to them and subsequently connect to the local charging network to fill the batteries of their electric car.
Once charging is completed, the driver can use either the app or a single charge card to pay for the session. The fact that drivers don’t need any subscription to the local charge point network make the entire process much easier both in terms of billing, payment and customer service.
Learn more: How to create a profitable EV business for you and your customers
Why are EMSPs important for the EV charging process?
E-Mobility service providers can be seen as the front-end of the charging process. They are the link that brings charging networks and EV drivers together without the hussle of individual subscriptions.
One can say that EMSPs act as the entity which streamlines the EV ecosystem making complex services such as network configuration, customer billing and customer interaction part of a unified charging experience.
Considering the rapid growth of the EV world (expected annual growth rate of 25.4% for 2024-2030), the introduction of a more standardised charging environment can make a big difference both for the EV drivers and the EV charging network.
What is the difference between an EMSP and a Charge Point Operator (CPO)?
As more and more acronyms appear in the EV industry, there is a lot of confusion around the different terminologies and how they are related to each other.
In the case of EMSPs, there are often a lot of questions regarding their their role and how the latter differs from that of a Charge Point Operator (CPO).
Despite the fact that these two entities are working closely together, it is important to underline that their responsibilities aren’t the same.
As we already mentioned above, E-Mobility Service Providers are mainly focusing on connecting EV drivers with the charging network and offering them access to different charge points in a given area regardless of subscription status or geographical restrictions.
EMSPs are mostly responsible for the customer experience from start (i.e. finding and connecting to a charge point) to finish (i.e. charging and payment) as well as the customer support in case that an issue emerges.
On the other side, Charge Point Operators are primarily responsible for the operation and the maintenance of the EV charge points.
There is no particular number of charge points that a CPO is in charge of. It can be anything from a few charge points to a whole network of EV charging stations in a number of locations.
Simply put, it could be said that CPOs are burdened with the backend operations of the EV charging ecosystem.
Read also: What is an Electric Vehicle Service Provider (EVSP)?
Different but connected
Something that is crucial to highlight here is that despite the differences of the two roles, a company may choose to act both as an EMSP and a Charge Point Operator.
There are in fact many organisations who choose to follow this path in order to give more flexibility to their users while having better control over the entire EV charging process.
What are the most important features of an EMSP software solution?
Customer convenience and satisfaction is paramount for all E-Mobility Service Providers. It goes without saying that EMSP software is fundamental for succeeding to this quest.
In a nutshell, here are some of the most important features an EMSP digital solution must have:
Effortless and secure sign-up and sign-in
First things first, it is vital that an EV driver can easily sign up to the platform without being concerned about the security of their data. Two-step authentication should be in place but without making the charging process painstakingly slow.
It might sound as something basic but it can really make a difference as to whether a user will choose the same EMSP app again or not.
Smooth and uninterrupted EV charging experience
Having a convenient and user-friendly sign-up and sign-in process is only the beginning. A top-performing EMSP software solution should allow EV drivers to find a charge point close to them in a quick and accurate way.
But that’s not all. App users should be in position to effortlessly start or terminate a charging session, monitor their consumption in real-time as well as contact the EMSP directly if there’s need for that.
Seamless data management and reporting
A reliable EMSP software should provide both drivers and CPOs with a detailed overview of how a charge point has been used.
For instance, it should be possible to become wiser about the average duration and cost of a charging session, the type of vehicles that tend to use the charge point in question and the operational status of the unit.
Furthermore, CPOs should be able to generate informative and easy-to-understand reports around maintenance and troubleshooting.
User-friendly billing and payment management
Both billing and payment are integral pillars of any EMSP software solution. The app should offer users a straightforward way to manage payments, monitor the duration of past charging sessions as well as track transaction history and taxes.
Live customer service 24/7
EMSP software should make it easy for drivers to come in touch with the customer team of the E-Mobility Service Provider in case that a problem appears.
In addition, it is important that users are offered the option to report any problems in real time so that the troubleshooting process can run faster.
What are the main challenges an EMSP fights against?
The role of an EMSP comes hand in hand with a number of obstacles and challenges. In short, here are the biggest problems an E-Mobility Service Provider has to battle against:
- Absence of standardised charging infrastructure
- Cybersecurity threats
- Fragmeneted billing processes
- Lack of interoperability
- Complexity of regulatory frameworks (e.g. billing or data protection regulations)
- Continuous technological updates
- Roaming agreements between network operators
- Limited user awareness
It doesn’t take much to understand that EMSPs have a very demanding mission, as they need to balance between many factors in order to keep their customers satisfied.
How can EMSPs be more effective?
Given the ever-changing nature of their business, EMSPs have to be continuously on their toes and work hard for optimising their processes.
Flexibility matters
Customer flexibility is key. EMSPs should provide their customers with different subscription options that can satisfy the diverse needs of the EV drivers they collaborate with.
Building a strong charging network
Building a robust charge point network is important, as customers won’t have to worry as to where they will be able to charge their electric vehicle.
Increased customer convenience will eventually signify increased customer loyalty. This is also why, investing time in building new roaming agreements is so crucial.
Listening to data
EMSPs should always put data first. Driver analytics can make them wiser about the habits of their customers.
“How often people charge their cars”, “which are the busiest charging locations” and “how much is the average energy consumption during a charging session” are only a few of the questions EMSPs can get reliable answers to if they work in a data-driven way.
Based on this information, they can afterwards adjust their business models to support the needs of their users and create better bilateral agreements with their network of collaborators.
