As transit agencies begin to scale operations of electric buses and charging equipment, the need for a sophisticated software and support model is more important than ever. CTE sat down with Jeff Palmer, Sales Director for Transit at AMPLY, to discuss AMPLY's system operator model.

You can learn more and meet with AMPLY at ZEB Con, hosted by CTE in Anaheim on September 19-21. Register for ZEB Con here.

CTE: What's driving the need for charge management systems (CMS)?

Jeff: Most heavy-duty charger manufacturers (EVSE) don't offer an energy management and charging monitoring system for their equipment, and those that do, don't offer a solution that will manage other OEMs' equipment.  The industry is now reaching a point where transits are often operating multiple battery electric buses (BEB) and EVSE made by different manufacturers and need a solution that can automate schedules as well as manage equipment warranties, and maintenance and service-related issues.  Increasingly, we're finding that customers are turning to AMPLY's charge management to simplify operations and increase system reliability.

CTE: How does AMPLY help solve charging equipment issues for their transit customers?

Jeff: Our transit customers want to focus on what they do best: getting people from A to B. Maintaining charging infrastructure is a big distraction to them especially since the incident or failure rate for DC fast chargers currently is around 30%. Our new ELEVATE maintenance service transfers most of that hassle to AMPLY.  AMPLY oversees the preventative maintenance and, critically, when something does go wrong, AMPLY coordinates issue resolution so fleet operators no longer have to carry the burden of dealing with multiple vendors pointing fingers at each other.  Cost and fleet schedule optimization can only be achieved if the charging system is consistently available.  

CTE: In your opinion, why is it important to have a vendor neutral supplier act of the system operator and not the vehicle or charger manufacturer?  

Jeff: There are already enough issues that vehicle and power electronic manufacturers need to overcome within their own deployments- it makes most sense for the vehicle OEM and charger EVSE to remain experts within their own product line.  To minimize disruptions to transit fleet operations, the "single point of contact" model can be very successful if it is structured correctly.  This requires having a partner like AMPLY provide an interoperable solution that can and will work with everyone in the market. Furthermore, there's no magic wand that can be waived- it's all about proactive communication and having well established technical relationships to diagnose and resolve root cause issues in a timely manner.

CTE: Thanks, Jeff. We'll see you at ZEB Con 2022 in Anaheim?

Jeff: Yes - I'll be there! AMPLY is a platinum sponsor for this year's conference and will be showcasing our semi-permanent charging solution, INRUSH, at our first deployment with Anaheim Regional Transportation (ART) on Monday afternoon.  This tour is open to all BEB operators interested in seeing and hearing from ART about their long-term electrification plans.  ART is currently operating 46 BEB on Anaheim city streets and for doorstep delivery to Disneyland features.