Opinion: Why an open ecosystem is key to widespread EV adoption for fleets

By Charlie Jardine, founder and president, EO Charging

The electric vehicle (EV) industry continues to grow and mature, especially in the world of fleets.

However, we’re at an inflection point where early adopters and those with capital have invested. With Government emissions targets looming, scaling up the adoption of EVs will require a fresh approach to ensure all fleet electrification and that no one is left behind. 

This is where the EV industry should take its cue from where big tech has succeeded. Open digital ecosystems have become the gold standard, enabling the seamless integration of technologies and the flexibility to further develop, scale and expand.

At its core, an open ecosystem embodies principles of interoperability, accessibility, and collaborative effort among all stakeholders. It serves as a foundational framework wherein manufacturers, policymakers, utilities, and technology vendors seamlessly unite to provide a solution to the end customer.

We’ve already seen some great examples of how the EV industry has been starting to act on these through the introduction of open protocols, such as the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) and ISO 15118.

The potential benefits of a full and nurtured open EV ecosystem are immense. With the power of openness, we can overcome common challenges surrounding EV adoption, drive innovation, and, ultimately, create a future where EVs are the norm rather than the exception.

The three principles of an open ecosystem

To understand the benefits an open ecosystem can deliver, we can look through the lens of each of its three principles. 

The interoperability of software solutions is critical to developing a future-proofed EV infrastructure. EV adoption depends heavily on technology—from charging hardware and fleet management software to energy management systems and grid connections.

We tend to see that fleet managers who are already grappling with the complexity of electrification, procuring and then integrating technology to create a truly end-to-end solution compound the challenge.

An EV tech stack that is software-defined and hardware-agnostic empowers fleet managers to retain choice over which solutions they use and provides stakeholders across the evolving sector with the ability to collaborate and innovate collectively.

Interoperability also fosters innovation as it allows third-party developers to more easily create products and services that work in tandem with other solutions across the industry, working to expand the EV sector.

Next up is accessibility—another critical component of an open EV ecosystem. While the benefits of electrifying fleets are clear—from improving a company’s carbon footprint to reduced maintenance—short-term affordability is still a big concern for many fleet managers. An open ecosystem can provide a solution to this challenge. 

The Government and policymakers can create the right environment for businesses to adopt EV fleets through incentives, grants, and investments in EV programmes.

The more they do this, the more competitive the market will be, contributing to lower costs for all and promoting more accessibility.

Finally, the third principle - collaboration. This is the glue that decides whether an open ecosystem will thrive.

Successful collaboration has the power to remove siloes both in and across organisations, bringing together stakeholders to ultimately increase innovation, knowledge sharing and solve problems efficiently and effectively.

Building partnerships and relationships across the EV industry and broader sectors is no small feat.

However, putting in the work to create an open ecosystem will mean companies can continue developing new charging solutions that integrate seamlessly with each other.

Taking this further, policymakers and Government representatives can collaborate with businesses to guide the standards and regulations needed to create a conducive ecosystem.

The importance of open protocols across the EV industry

Along with the above three principles, implementing an open ecosystem requires the right protocols to encourage collaboration, which will benefit businesses in the long term.

For example, the Open Charge Point Protocol is currently the most widely used open protocol for communication between charging stations and central management systems, enabling remote management, diagnostics, and transaction handling features.

Alongside this, ISO 15118—an international standard—focuses on bidirectional communication between EVs and charging infrastructure. It enables advanced features like plug and charge and vehicle-to-grid communication, which allows EVs to feed electricity back into the grid.  

The list of available protocols is wide and varying, but having the right initiatives in place will ensure the EV sector is putting the fleet manager's needs at the heart of the industry’s growth.

Open ecosystem principles stand to accelerate and scale the commercial adoption of EVs

Though the benefits of electrifying fleets are often well understood - from its potential for positive environmental impact to sparking new job creation - the challenges often keep people away from making that shift.

By accepting and working on the principles of an open ecosystem, the EV sector stands its best chance to accelerate and scale.