We are always trying to improve your experience with our products.
Detachable connectors can sometimes become locked in the charging station and a relatively common user request from an operator is to unlock them remotely. This can be done by heading to a station page and selecting a connector iconfrom the overview and selecting "Unlock connector". Alternatively it can be done from the top right status and actions menu under Sessions -> Unlock connector and choosing the connector ID.
Paythru is a provider of direct payment solutions for EV charging. They offer products for accepting payment both through QR codes and through dedicated custom branded mobile apps. Payment is typically sent directly to you the operator which reduces fees typically taken my mobility service providers.
We offer options for existing Paythru customers as well as non-Paythru customers who would like to use their services through a Switch contract which can further reduce costs. Once onboarded through one of these options Switch Platform users can manage their Paythru payments entirely through the Switch Platform by onboarding locations, stations, and tariffs which are then included in the Paythru system and applications.
For more information on Paythru and how we can support on other payment methods please get in touch at support@switch-ev.com or with the Paythru team at hello@paythru.com
Just head to the App Store in the bottom right of the Switch Platform. From there you can browse apps and request integrations. The process for enabling is different for each integration, in some cases the Switch team will be notified and will be in touch to confirm details, in others it will be entirely automatic.
Zaptec charging stations have a specific interpretation of the OCPP 1.6 password handling and users should be aware of this to enable easy onboarding.
Most charging station configuration software, and the Switch Platform, expects a normal "plain text string" to be entered for the password field. However, the Zaptec portal requires that users enter the password in a "Hex Encoded" format and that this must be 40 characters long, otherwise the Zaptec software will add on characters to make its length up to 40.
A simple solution to this is to always set your passwords for Zaptec charging stations in the Zaptec portal to "4141414141414141414141414141414141414141" and in Switch Platform to "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" (the hex decoded version of 414141...) which will ensure a connection. If you'd like a real custom password you can use an online tool like https://www.convertstring.com/EncodeDecode/HexEncode to create the Zaptec version of your password, just make sure that it's 40 characters long otherwise there may be connection issues.
Full details can be found in the "OCPP Authorization" section of this guide: https://zaptec.objects.frb.io/assets/PDFs/Integrating-with-Zaptec-charging-systems.pdf
If you've got an account with multiple networks, admin users can access all networks and any manager accounts will by default only have access to a single network. Adding new users happens as normal, but they now need assigning to a network. You can do this by heading to https://app.switch-ev.com/account/networks, selecting the network, and under Network Team selecting "Add Users" on the right.
Networks mean you can create segregated areas within the Platform while retaining a full view of all assets yourself. These can be used for sub-clients or for organising your own assets in a logical way for your business. As an account admin you can add a new Network here: https://app.switch-ev.com/account/networks and then switch between them using the network selector in the top left. Networks can be viewed and managed by admins through the same page.
Yes, Josev supports multiple EVSEs on one operating system.
We can provide you with the executable/binaries that allows you to test on your architecture, just let us know which you'd like during onboarding
Josev works fully on any AC charging station. An update with DC support is in the final stages of testing and will be released in early 2024
We understand that most manufacturers prefer to control the updates for firmware, so we push and update versions of Josev internally. We then notify the customer of the update and leave it up to the customer as to the best time to update the hardware. This ensures, ultimately you are in control.
As a customer of Josev, you will have privileged access to our GitHub private page where you can create tickets for questions or bugs found that we triage and address accordingly. We can also provide recipes for Yocto that take care of downloading and adding Josev to your custom OS.
A full public documentation site can be found at josev.switch-ev.com. Additional documentation is provided for specific customers;
The Josev Demo contains all that our regular and production offer has, except that is limited in 2 aspects:
We can provide you at the cost of 1 Chargebyte board (~£400) the full stack of Josev, for 1 month trial, which includes:
Yes, we have partnered with a hardware provider called Chargebyte. They have a powerful portfolio of boards tailored for eMobility needs.
The board that we use is a variant called “Charge Controller C”, more info about that board can be found here
Yes, here is a list:
We specifically recommend Qualcomm or lumissil.
Josev comes with an Apache 2.0-license , which means that for all purposes one can modify and distribute Josev commercially, as long as the modifications are included in the copyright, the trademark and authors are preserved and Switch gets notified of any change to the stack.
Josev runs in Linux-based OS systems and needs a minimum of 250 MB of RAM (peak value) and ~45 MB of disk space.
We are continuously working to minimise this footprint and optimise the stack.
Josev can run on any embedded device that runs Linux and contains a PLC (PowerLine Communication) module.
We generate an executable with all the needed dependencies and compiled to the target you desire: armv7, armv8, x86_64, x86.
The executables are provided via a secure download.
Currently, Josev is built over Python and Rust as follows:
Work is underway to convert the entire stack to Rust.
Yes. Once you are a customer of Switch, you will have full access to the source code.
See pricing here.
Yes, you can buy the OCPP, ISO15118 and EXI codec separately. See here for full details.
The Josev API defines the different messages that Josev sends or receives via the broker. MQTT is the medium to send messages and the Josev API is the actual messages that we send. You can see the MQTT as the mailman and the Josev API as the letter that is being sent/received. To facilitate the integration of the API, we can provide bindings to C/C++ of our Python based Josev API and all API documentation is provided with Josev when purchased.
The MQTT message broker is a module that handles the communication between our internal services, it acts like a mail dispatcher, receiving messages coming from person A and delivering it to person B.
Josev uses it for information that needs to be exchanged between the ISO15118 and OCPP modules (e.g. Plug and Charge token for authorization). Josev also uses the broker to interact with the customer hardware, for example to get electricity readings from the meter.
The EXI Codec is an encoder/decoder that is required to exchange ISO 15118 messages between the EV and the station.
Josev includes native support for OCPP 2.0.1. Both Core & Advanced Security are supported on the OCPP 2.0.1 modules (additional modules on request).
Josev also includes ISO15118-2, ISO15118-3 and ISO15118-20. Lastly Josev includes an ExiCodec and an MQTT message broker, messages are defined by the Josev API and documentation for this is provided with Josev.
Josev stands for “Joint Operating System for Electric Vehicle Charging” and is an off the shelf, embedded operating system (OS) that when implemented on your hardware, elevates it with OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118 functionality.
We don’t advise on what specific tariff you should set, but for some help on what may be competitive, you can compare to published public charging tariffs. Some useful resources are the Zapmap price index and chargeprice.
This article also helps to understand how many kWh a driver might be expected to charge per session on average, which helps if you’re using a per kWh tariff.
The Switch Platform offers three tariff measures; per kWh of energy delivered, per minute, and a flat session fee.
There are two additional fees you can add; a session fee (also known as a start fee) applied at the start of a session regardless of time or energy delivered, and a blocking fee (also known as a parking fee) applied over time while the parking spot is blocked by a vehicle that’s finished charging.
A minimum and maximum overall session fee can be set so that no session can go below or above a certain price.
You can also create a variable tariff that has different values at different times of the day or week. This allows for the creating of more complex tariff structures which encourage drivers to charge at quieter times in the week for example.
When you facilitate a public charging session through the Switch Platform it means some third party (known as an MSP) has taken the payment from the driver and will then pay you (via Switch) that money, minus some fee. This is the “MSP fee”.
The other fee is that which Switch charges, which covers part of the payment for the Switch Platform and the fees associated with being a member of roaming hubs. To see our latest transaction fees head to https://www.switch-ev.com/pricing.
Both of these will be automatically deducted before you are paid via Switch for a public charging session on your network. We aim to minimise all fees by negotiating with MSPs, they will always be presented clearly to you and any changes communicated as promptly as possible.
A tariff is what you “charge” (in money) for your customers to “charge” (their vehicles). The Switch Platform offers various structures for tariffs to let you adopt whatever pricing strategy suits you.
Tariffs are used first for reporting, so any tariff you set on a station will show accurate session cost and revenue figures throughout the Switch Platform.
Secondly, they can be sent out to our integration partners so they know what to show the Tariff as on third-party apps and services, and then also collect that exact Tariff from the driver and pay you. The way this works depends on the integration, read our integration FAQs here to learn more.
To read about the Hubject integration and how to use it head to https://www.switch-ev.com/blog/ev-roaming-switch-users-can-now-benefit-from-europes-leading-roaming-hub
If the station credentials are set up correctly, the Switch Platform and station will establish a websocket connection. Once this happens the station will move out of the “Pending” state and begin its booting process.
Station booting always involves the sending of a Boot Notification. This tells the Switch Platform the station make and model and some other details. The Switch Platform then requests more information from the station about its components and configuration options.
Once this is all complete the station is onboarded and available to use. You can interact with the station remotely and view its activity from the station details page.
Every station that connects to the Switch Platform either uses a protocol called OCPP 1.6 or OCPP 2.0.1.
OCPP 1.6 only offers the basic authentication described in the section above. This is simple but can be a security risk.
Stations with a version of OCPP 1.6 including the “Security Extension” and stations with OCPP 2.0.1 have additional connection options. This offers a much higher level of security.
We categorise these different security levels into tiered “Security Profiles”:
Profile 2 involves the station installing the Switch Platform certificate and connecting on a secure web socket connection. The URL will start with wss://. The Switch Platform will still authorise the station using its ID and password.
Profile 3 also involves the station installing the platform certificate and connecting on wss://. But the Switch Platform this time authorises the station using its certificate, not with its ID and password. This is the highest security level possible and significantly reduces security risks.
For OCPP 2.0.1 stations we offer the ability to upgrade security profiles from within the Switch Platform. Meaning you can connect quickly and then upgrade the security of your network remotely, at no cost.
Once you’ve successfully added your station to the Switch Platform, you need to update three key settings in order to fully connect.
The three key settings to update are:
If you want a higher level of secure connection, then you need to start also handling certificates (we’ll explain this in the next section).
Settings are usually updated using the manufacturer app. So if you’re unsure how to update your station settings it’s best to contact the manufacturer for support.
After the configuration is updated, the station will reboot and attempt to connect using the new credentials.
This involves the station requesting to connect to the Switch Platform where we validate whether the ID and password match what was previously entered.
If you have any other questions that have not been covered by these FAQs, please feel free to contact the Switch team at hello@switch-ev.com
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Charger firmware is often updated from the manufacturer's system and can be managed through them. However the Switch Platform also supports firmware updates for charging stations.
Firmware files can be uploaded to the Switch Platform by heading to a station -> settings -> firmware -> manage firmware -> upload firmware. The files will then be securely stored in our firmware server. A charger can then be prompted to download this firmware from our server and upgrade itself by going to station -> settings -> firmware -> update firmware and selecting the relevant firmware file.
The Switch Platform has an API which is accessible to our users. To view documentation and get API keys, go to https://app.switch-ev.com/account/api-keys.
Authorisation types are the different ways drivers are able to start charging. They are:
Driver groups let you add multiple drivers to one charging account. Driver groups can be managed from the ‘Drivers’ tab in the left-hand menu.
Note: drivers in the same group can stop each other's charging sessions.
To create a driver group, click ‘Groups’ at the top of the page. The ‘Add group’ button is in the top right-hand corner. Click this and give the group a name. Then click ‘Create group’.
Your group will now appear under your list of driver groups.
To remove a driver to a driver group click the ‘Drivers’ tab in the left hand menu & then click ‘Groups’ at the top of the page. This will show you all of the driver groups you have already created.
Find the group you wish to edit and click the group name, this will then open up into a page showing you all of the drivers within this group, find a driver you wish to remove and under the actions column you can click the remove button. This will open up a dialogue box.
If you are sure, click okay, and the driver is removed.
Authorised drivers and tokens can be managed from the ‘Drivers’ tab in the left-hand menu.
To add an authorised driver:
Click ‘Add driver’ in the top right-hand corner. This will take you to the ‘New driver’ page where you can enter the driver name, authorisation type, the authorisation number and decide if you wish to add them to a driver group.
Once you filled in all of the information, click ‘Create driver’. This will then take you back to the ‘Drivers’ page where you can now see the driver you have created.
To edit driver details:
Pick the driver you wish to edit and click the edit icon (a pencil on a tab of paper) on the right-hand side of the page. This will take you to the ‘Edit driver’ page where you can update all of their details.
Once you’ve made the edits required, click ‘Update driver’ and you will be taken back to the original ‘Drivers’ page where the updates you have done will show immediately.
To delete a driver:
Pick the driver you wish to delete and click the delete icon (a rubbish bin) on the right-hand side of the page.
A dialogue box will pop up and ask if you are sure you wish to delete the driver. If yes, click ‘OK’ and the driver will be deleted. This change will happen immediately.
When adding a new driver, you can add the person to an existing driver group. An existing driver can be added to a group using the ‘Edit driver’ button on the right-hand side of the driver table.
Head to the sessions tab, choose a date range in the top right then select "Download CSV" to download the data to your computer. This data can also be accessed from our API using the /sessions endpoints
Pre authorisation charges are a common practice in EV charging payments when the total fee cannot be known ahead of time. Whether or nor a pre-authorisation charge is taken depends on the specific payment integration being used.
Click ‘Create new tariff’ in the top right-hand corner.
This will take you to the ‘Create a tariff’ page where you can enter the tariff’s name, the currency and the cost per kWh.
Once entered, click ‘Create and finish’. You will then be taken back to the main tariff page where you can see your tariff.
The Switch Platform supports a number of payment integrations which can be viewed and enabled in the Switch App store. Examples are Hubject which allow for payments from various mobility service providers in Europe, Paythru which allows for direct payment to the charge point operator through a QR code or mobile app, and Payter which allows payment by credit or debit card.
To apply a tariff to a charging station, go to the ‘Stations’ page within the left-hand side menu. Find the charging station you want to apply the tariff to.
Click into the charger, under ‘Station management’ on the right-hand side of the page there is a ‘Tariff’ option with an edit button. This lets you set a tariff of your choosing.
On the right-hand side of this tariff is a column named ‘Actions’ and here you can click the ‘Delete’ button (a trash can). This lets you delete the tariff if no chargers are using it.
If the tariff has chargers attached to it, you must remove all of the chargers attached before you can delete the tariff. This can be done through the ‘Stations’ page.
On the right-hand side of this tariff is a column named ‘Actions’. Here you can click the ‘Edit’ button (a notepad and pencil). This will then let you to edit the tariff.
Once you have made the edits you require, click ‘Update tariff’ and you will then be taken back to the main tariff page where you can see your tariff.
Tariffs for charging stations can be created, edited, and deleted from the ‘Tariffs’ tab in the left-hand menu.
Head to the sessions tab, choose some filters at the top then select the download button in the top right to download the data to your computer. This data can also be accessed from our API using the /charging_station endpoints
If you have a charger stuck in pending after adding it to the Switch Platform and configuring the charger backend, this is likely due to the station not having the right information or credentials.
This means we cannot authorise it. The quickest way to resolve this is to contact us at support@switch-ev.com and we will get you up and running.
To restart a charger click the ‘Station’ tab in the left-hand menu. Scroll down the list and find the charger you wish to restart and click on it.
Click the ‘Remote actions’ button in the top right-hand corner. You will see several choices.
You can choose an immediate reset or a delayed reset once the current charging session has finished, and the exact component you wish to reset (either the full charging session or a single charging point).
Once you've decided on your action, click ‘Reset’. The reset action can then be seen in the station’s message logs.
To quickly update a charger station’s settings, click on the ‘Stations’ tab on the left-hand menu, then select the charger you want from the list.
This will open a page with more information on the station. Click the “Maintenance” tab at the top of the page and then click on either “Device model” or “Configuration keys” (depending on the charger protocol used).
This shows you a list of all the configuration keys. Click on them for further information. Anything that can be configured will be shown clearly marked in a box for you to edit.
Any issues with configurations, please contact our Support team at support@switch-ev.com who will be happy to help.
There are several ways to tell if a charger has a fault.
First, check the ‘Charging status’ in the ‘Dashboard’ menu. This shows any faulty equipment and lets you see more detail by clicking on the component.
Second, check the ‘Stations’ page and look down the list to see if any of the equipment statuses are showing as red. Hover over the equipment with your cursor to show the error and click on it for more information.
If you have any more questions about charger statuses, contact our Support team at support@switch-ev.com.
The message logs show the exchange of all messages between the charging station and the Switch Platform.
They are defined by the OCPP protocol the station uses and give granular detail on charging sessions, faults, and any other activity that occurs while the station is online.
Locations can be viewed and managed from the ‘Locations’ tab in the left-hand menu.
Creating a location
There are several ways to add a location but all take you to the same ‘Add a location’ page.
Each of these ways will take you to the ‘Create a location’ page where you can enter the location, name, country and use the address lookup.
Once details are added, click ‘Create location’. You will then be taken back to the ‘Locations’ page and the location will appear on the map at the top of the page and in the list view.
Editing a location
Scroll down the list and find the location you wish to edit. Click into the location and in the top right-hand corner, click the three dots and then press the ‘Edit location’ button.
This will allow you to update the location, name, and address of the location, as well as being able to update the coordinates of the location pin.
If you've edited anything, you can then click ‘Save’ and it will take you back to the Location page.
Deleting a location
Scroll down the list and find the location you wish to edit. Click into the location and in the top right-hand corner, click the three dots and then press the ‘Delete location’ button.
This will bring up a dialogue box if the location has chargers attached to it. You must first remove the chargers attached before you can delete the location.
The chargers attached to this location are shown on the Location page you have open. To remove them, click on each charger on this page and it will take you to the ‘Stations page’ where you can locate the charger and edit the location for the charger.
If you do not have any charges attached to this location or you have removed the chargers, the dialogue box that will pop up now will ask if you are sure you wish to delete the location. Click ‘OK’ and the location will be deleted.
You will then be taken back to the main list of locations.
To onboard a charger, select ‘Add charger’ from the dashboard or stations list pages.
Add a user-friendly name, then enter the ID and Password of the station.
Note: these are likely set within the charging station already. So check the manufacturer documentation on where to see what ID and password are used or how to change them.
Then click ‘Add station’.
Once this is done, the station goes into ‘pending’. This means we are waiting for it to connect. The connection URL will be displayed and this should be entered on the station. Consult the manufacturer for help on how to do this if you’re unsure.
Once the URL on the station is updated it should connect and, if the ID and password match, it will be accepted to the Switch Platform.
Note on security: We recommend connecting using secure websockets (using wss://) which requires the station to trust the Amazon Root Certificate found here. If the station does not allow this then we also allow connection over the unsecure ws:// protocol.
The difference between a pending charger and an on-boarded charger in the Switch Platform can be seen visually on the ‘Stations’ page of the Platform.
A pending charger has been added but not connected to the charger’s backend that you may be using.
This usually consists of taking the URL that the Switch Platform has generated and setting that in the charging station using the manufacturer's software. All of the pending chargers can be seen under the ‘Pending’ tab.
Onboarded chargers have been connected to the Switch Platform. They appear in the ‘Stations’ tab. Within here you can filter for a charger and export your charger data.
If for any reason you are having issues with connecting a charger contact
You can add any charge point to the Switch Platform that supports OCPP version 1.6 or 2.0.1.
We also work with a number of charging station manufacturers who are Switch Approved to be used with the Switch Platform for guaranteed seamless operation.
If you are a charging station manufacturer looking to become Switch Approved, please get in touch.
If you have a question about a specific charger, please contact support@switch-ev.com.
The Switch Platform notifies users about faults and offline stations.
You can opt in to get notified any time a station reports a fault or any time a station goes offline for more than 30 minutes. All notifications will also appear in the application.
To configure notifications in your account, log in to the Switch Platform and click ‘Settings’ on the left-hand menu at the bottom. This takes you to your Account page.
Here you can update what notifications you receive in your email and the app. If you have any questions around notifications, please email support@switch-ev.com.
To reset a forgotten password, go to the Switch Login page and click ‘Reset your password’ under the login box.
Enter your email address and press ‘Submit’, this will then send you a email link to your email address for you to reset your password.
Log in to the Switch Platform, then click ‘Settings’ on the left-hand menu at the bottom. This will take you to your Account page.
Here, you can update your First Name and Last Name. Make sure to click ‘Save details’ afterwards to update them.
You can also update your password. Your password has to follow the criteria we set (this is shown under the box where a new password is entered). Click ‘Update’ once you’re ready and your new password is set.
Log in to the Switch Platform. Then click settings on the left-hand menu at the bottom. And then click ‘Team’ at the top of the page. Once there, click on the ‘Invite a new team member’ button. Fill in the person’s email address and click ‘Send invite’.
They will then receive an invite by email and can set up their own password.
Someone on the Switch team will first set up an admin account for the main contact at your company. The admin at your company can then set up other users and email you your details.
Need help? Please email support@switch-ev.com and our team will get back to you.
You will get a dedicated customer success manager. This person will be your single point of contact for any needs and questions you may have.
The customer success manager takes care of your full onboarding experience, including access and training on the Switch Platform. So you make the best use of the Switch Platform’s features.
Yes! The Switch Platform supports OCPP versions 1.6 and 2.0.1 which means it is natively compatible with almost every charging station in the world. We have a list of models which we have tested with which is frequently updated, if you'd like to see whether your hardware has been already tested with the Switch Platform please send us an email at support@switch-ev.com
Switch offers a free trial to all new users. If you decide the Switch Platform is right for you, you will then move to a contract basis. Switch’s minimum contract term is for 12 months.
We charge you per charger you have onboarded onto the Switch Platform, plus a fixed fee per transaction.
If you want to make money with your charger, we have dedicated features to let you do so. For this, we will charge you a percentage of the transaction fee and we will bill you monthly. That’s it: no hidden fees.
For more information on pricing click here.
We have a comparison table showing the differences between our Pro and Enterprise versions. It can be found here.
If you have any questions about the Pro or Enterprise versions, please contact our Support team at support@switch-ev.com.
The Switch Platform is for anyone who'd like to better understand, manage, and monetise their EV charging network. To see more about our customer profiles and how they benefit head to the "Solutions" tab at the top of this page.
More information about our features can be found here.
If you have any questions about our features, please contact our Support team at support@switch-ev.com.
The Switch Platform is worldwide, with clients using it in the USA, Europe and Asia already.
Every person taking part will receive the training documents digitally as a PDF file.
We want to accelerate the adoption of ISO 15118 through easier access to this technology, and we want to make interoperability between EV manufacturers and charging station manufacturers as simple as possible. Over the years, we’ve seen newcomers to the market making the same implementation mistakes on ISO 15118 over and over again, which just delays a proper market introduction of ISO 15118. As we don’t deliver our software to car manufacturers (yet), we believe we can have a big positive impact on the industry by providing a reference implementation as a gold standard that the industry will adopt and use to test their own offerings. EV manufacturers all across the globe will then have a proper implementation to test with.
Secondly, Josev will be more valuable for the industry when it is being peer reviewed by other experts. This creates a stronger foundation for everyone.
Both Basic and Advanced Trainings are scheduled for one full day (around 7 hours). If the training is done remotely, we can split it over two days (3-4 hours each day).
As many as you like. But we need a minimum of 10 people for the training to be able to take place.
The topics are flexible – we can focus on whichever ones most fit your needs as a team. Plus, we’ll discuss any questions you have during the training.
