Draft for Tamir's review. Not published.
Test the platform's claims on your own equipment
A claim of OCPI and OCPP support is only as good as the versions and modules the vendor commits to in writing. Ask for a conformance test on your own charger models and a live roaming partner, with results you can read.
Keep the next charger tender open: require an open management protocol and test it on delivery. Ask which decisions stay safe when the cloud connection drops, and who owns protective functions apart from the optimization software.
Separate capacity on paper from capacity you can use
A capacity reservation counts only under its documented conditions. Get the documents behind each material claim, and ask to see the investment case without the uncertain capacity. Fund reversible preparation first, and hold nonrefundable commitments until the connection is confirmed.
Installed capacity also differs from capacity available when the vehicles need it. When sales and engineering disagree, put both positions on the same fleet schedule. Before expanding, check whether support can absorb more sites and whether operating costs still match the original case.
Depending on your seat
If you're on the board, ask for the connection agreement and the grid company's committed dates before approving a valuation or a depot plan. Contact the grid company at board level only with a specific request and dates.
If you run operations or IT, give competing bidders identical scenarios with your equipment and local payment arrangements. Check who supports you during your operating hours, and what is available today rather than on the roadmap. Before renewing an operator, trace complaints from first contact to confirmed resolution.
What to check before you decide
- List the exact OCPI modules and OCPP versions your hub, chargers and roaming partners require, and get each committed in writing.
- Run sessions on two of your own charger models through the platform and compare what reaches a roaming partner.
- Confirm you can export sessions, tariffs and locations in a documented format.
- Ask for an authorized test report showing depot operation when connectivity is lost.
- Obtain the documents behind every capacity claim, and the conditions that could reduce it.
- Identify commitments that become nonrefundable before the connection is confirmed.
- Reconcile new operating, staffing and support costs with the original business case.
Questions people ask
Depot electrification stalled between charging vendor and grid company, buses arriving, what should the board do?
Get the facts on capacity: what the grid company has committed and when, what the depot needs for the first buses and what interim measures exist, such as staged charging, load management or temporary supply. Then use board-level contact with the grid company only with a specific ask. It depends on the connection agreement's terms and on how many buses need charging first.
What evidence should support charging investments dependent on future grid connections?
Distinguish a claimed reservation from usable capacity under its documented conditions. The investment decision depends on rights, dependencies, expiry conditions, and evidence reviewed with the relevant technical and legal owners.
Should we fund charging sites before their electricity connection is confirmed?
Separate reversible preparation from commitments requiring a confirmed connection. The right sequence depends on site rights, connection evidence, and what can be recovered if a location cannot proceed.
Should we promise nationwide charging access before every partner is confirmed?
Align the customer promise with confirmed operational coverage and explicit conditions. Signing depends on partner commitments, tested customer access, and the consequences of unavailable locations.
Why are fleet electrification costs rising despite cheaper energy forecasts?
Compare the complete operating model with the original business case. Continuation depends on total obligations, service reliability, and whether the fleet's actual usage supports the expected benefit.
Should we keep expanding chargers while customer support costs keep climbing?
Identify which failure types expansion would multiply before adding locations. The decision depends on complaint causes, supplier responsibilities, and whether the current service can absorb more demand.
Should we renew our charging operator when customers blame us for failures?
Renew against service outcomes and enforceable responsibilities rather than equipment availability alone. The choice depends on customer resolution, operator responsiveness, and a feasible alternative operating arrangement.
How do we decide when engineering and sales disagree on charging capacity?
Translate both positions into the same operating scenario and decision boundary. The answer depends on vehicle schedules, usable capacity, service commitments, and evidence for each constraint.
How do I verify a charging platform vendor really supports OCPI and OCPP before signing?
Vendor claims of protocol support are only as good as the version, module and profile list they commit to in writing. Ask for a conformance test against your own chargers and a live roaming partner, with results you can read. It depends on which OCPI modules and OCPP versions your hub, chargers and roaming partners actually require today.
Electric bus depot, should charge management software come from the charger supplier or be independent?
Independent software keeps the next charger tender open and lets you manage energy across depots, if it can control the chargers you buy. Make charger compliance with an open protocol a tender condition and test it before acceptance. It depends on how many depots you will run and on your grid connection limits.
Should we approve a charging platform that depends on continuous cloud connectivity?
Keep a defined local fallback. The boundary depends on which charging decisions remain safe with stale information.
Should we approve charging expansion before power management is independently validated?
Do not approve expansion on a software demonstration alone when electrical limits are material. It depends on documented operating limits, failure responses, and validation by the responsible electrical and safety specialists.
Should we choose a local or international charging software supplier?
Neither geography nor company size establishes technical fit. Choose using the same evidence for operating compatibility, Israeli service needs, support continuity, and contractual accountability.
How I can help with this decision
- Ask or talk (Free)
- I give my view on which protocol, capacity or service gaps are deal breakers for your network, and which single test tells you the most before you commit.
- Review (Pay if it was worth it)
- I write an independent assessment of the platforms, sites or operator against your chargers, grid conditions and operating needs. I recommend to award, condition, stage, re-test or stop.
- Retain (When it makes sense)
- I stay available through onboarding and expansion to review conformance results, capacity evidence and changes to the original assumptions.