Meet the experts: EV charger network operation

Believ’s Andrew Matkin and Courtney Okoyeze talk about how to roll-out electric vehicle chargepoints

When the new UK Public Charging Regulations come into force in November, drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) will know what they can expect from chargepoint operators (CPOs) and the infrastructure installed.

CPOs will be required to record and report reference and availability data for every chargepoint in their network. Reference data includes information such as location, connector type, available payment methods, and pricing. Availability data pertains to whether the chargepoint is operational (defined as available, charging, or occupied) and must be updated within 30 seconds of any change in status.

Andrew Matkin, network operation manager at Believ, and Courtney Okoyeze, programme management office (PMO) coordinator at Believ, discuss why the regulation is important, how they intend to maintain the highest levels of up time, and how the new regulation supports its fully funded model.

Why do CPOs need to start publishing their up time and how do your roles ensure that Believ will be doing so?
Andrew: My role as network operations manager is to develop operational capabilities that ensure the optimised performance of Believ’s growing network of chargers. The goal is to grow driver confidence in charging infrastructure – and this is paramount. One crucial way to build this trust is by being transparent about our network’s uptime. By regularly publishing our uptime statistics, we can demonstrate our commitment to reliability and accountability, and help showcase the industry as trustworthy and customer-focused.

Furthermore, my role entails assisting with onboarding new hardware and technology and establishing new processes to ensure we keep a contact eye on the performance and reliability of our network. This transparency not only reassures our current users but also attracts new customers who value dependable service.

We already have an internal up time Key Performance Indicator (KPI) target across all chargepoints of beyond the minimum (98%). We achieve this by choosing the most reliable hardware providers so that we can make sure what we are putting in the ground will ultimately stand the test of time. It is vitally important that the whole industry is doing the same to build consumer confidence, and publishing this data helps to keep all players in the market accountable.

Courtney: As a PMO coordinator, I manage internal and external stakeholders throughout the process of installing chargepoints. I serve as the intermediary between the operations team and external parties, handling project-related tasks such as site surveys, designs and budgets. Additionally, I monitor project progress using various trackers and dashboards, including tracking build progress and socket assets reporting, which gives me an incredibly comprehensive view of how all the moving parts of our process work together to make the roll-out of infrastructure possible.

I think it’s crucial that we publicly share our uptime data as this detailed reporting system demonstrates our reliability as a CPO. With increased market visibility of chargepoints, it is likely that maintenance and repairs will happen quicker – which is essential for an all-round excellent driver experience, and ultimately, for a smoother switch away from fossil fuels.

Do you feel your role enables you to help contribute to positive environmental change?
Andrew: Absolutely – I think that the more EVs replace their petrol and diesel counterparts on the road, the better. I have recently purchased an EV myself and as the industry grows, my job will get increasingly busier the more chargepoints we install. While I am contributing to keeping that network going, I can create a positive impact on how easy it is to use a chargepoint – ultimately driving EV uptake and the decarbonisation of transport.

It is positive news that the industry will start publishing uptime figures in November, as it’s another driver for the whole industry to achieve consistent and robust uptime statistics. This will ensure that EV drivers have reliable access to charging when they need it – no matter the time of day.

Courtney: It does indeed! Believ has robust financial backing that gives us the scale and capability to deliver all speeds of EV charging infrastructure at the pace that is needed. While the EV infrastructure roll-out is not an easy task, I feel my role within Believ gives me the opportunity to make tangible, positive change for the long-term benefit of our environment.

What do you think the next 5 years are going to look like for CPOs?
Andrew: Very busy – especially as the rate of installations grows even further. And we need to accelerate the rollout very significantly, so there is plenty of work to do. It is certainly going to be challenging, but I’m excited to be part of it.

Courtney: For Believ, it will be about utilising our EV charging solution to support the wide-scale adoption of sustainable transport. Key to this will be about specifying the right chargepoints in the right locations, which is how we will deliver the convenient solutions that will give drivers the confidence to make the switch to EVs. It’s going to keep us extremely busy!

Believ, the trading name of Liberty Charge, is an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint operator (CPO) that installs, operates and maintains all speeds of publicly accessible chargepoints. Believ is funded by Liberty Global Ventures and Zouk Capital, the manager of the HM Treasury-backed Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF). Believ partners with sister company Virgin Media O2 in the deployment of charging infrastructure, enabling the installation of chargepoints at scale and pace throughout the UK.?