As businesses, fleets, communities and individuals make the switch to zero-emission vehicles, there is a growing need for effective monitoring and management of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI). Intelligent power management company Eaton today announced the launch of its new Charging Network Manager software platform to optimize EV charging network operations from a single, intuitive dashboard. Within the online operator portal, site hosts can view and manage location and station information, driver access, payment processing, load distribution, reporting capabilities and more.

Eaton worked closely with innovative EV charging software provider ChargeLab to customize its Charging Network Manager and conducted deep integration with its EVCI portfolio. Eaton’s full line of Green Motion EV chargers are configured to seamlessly connect to Charging Network Manager upon installation, making it one of the most tightly integrated solutions on the market.

“One of the greatest challenges to EV adoption is a dependable charging network. For fleet managers, property owners or facility managers to effectively manage networked charging stations, it is essential to have a secure, reliable and seamless integration between hardware and software,” said Paul Ryan, product line manager, Connected Solutions / EV Charging Infrastructure, Eaton. “With out-of-the-box commissioning to streamline installation for electrical contractors, deep software integration embedded within Eaton’s EV chargers, a user-friendly interface and enhanced cybersecurity certificate integration, Eaton Charging Network manager is among the most robust plug-and-play solutions to support networked EV charging.”

Eaton prioritizes interoperability for all of its connected solutions. Charging Network Manager enables the connection and management of virtually any EV charging station whose communication conforms to the Open Charge Point Protocol, helping electrical contractors manage installation and commissioning and allowing customers to mix and match hardware and network options for maximum flexibility.

The Eaton and ChargeLab collaboration leverages the scale and accessibility of Eaton’s well-established electrical distribution channels and strengthens interoperability and network management functionality through more points of use. In addition to the collaboration, Eaton recently made a strategic investment in ChargeLab, which aligns with Eaton’s long-term energy transition growth strategy.

Key features of Eaton Charging Network Manager allows users to:

-Add, modify and group charging stations by location for superior organization

-Manage access controls per driver group, station group or individual charge station level

-Process payments and implement pricing policies that configure flat-rate, time-based and energy-based charging to offset costs

-Access customized reports, including charge session interval reporting to help meet utility charge station subsidy programs

-Leverage demand response capabilities

-Manage loads across multiple stations to optimize charging infrastructure

-Grant driver access via mobile phone browser or RFID card assignments