How Depotcharge works
Depotcharge brings depot operators and fleets together. Depot operators with charging infrastructure that would otherwise sit idle generate additional revenue, while fleets benefit from lower charging costs.
In this article we show you how the platform is structured and how a charging session comes about.
1.The two areas
Depotcharge is divided into two areas, which you can switch between at any time at the top of the sidebar.
- Depot operator is for anyone who offers charging points.
Here you manage your Sites, Agreements, Tariffs and Reports.
- Fleet manager is for anyone who charges their vehicles.
Here you find Fleets & charging cards, the Map, Agreements and Reports.
An organisation can also use both areas, that is, open its own depot to others while charging at other depots on the road.
2.How a charging session comes about
- 1.First, the depot operator creates a site with charging points and sets a tariff for it.
- 2.The depot operator then publishes an agreement offer that specifies which fleets are permitted to charge and at what tariff.
- 3.The fleet accepts the offer or requests it.
Depending on the settings, the agreement then applies immediately, or the depot operator first reviews the request and accepts or rejects it.
- 4.This is how the offer becomes an active agreement, under which the fleet is permitted to charge at the site.
- 5.At the charging station, the vehicle authenticates with an RFID card or via Autocharge.
- 6.Finally, Depotcharge issues a monthly invoice to the fleet on behalf of the depot operator, and the depot operator also receives its payout monthly.
3.Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Your business on the platform, under which everything else is created. |
| Company | The legal entity that invoices and pays. In most cases, one is enough. |
| Site | A charging location with an address and charging points. |
| Charging point | A single charging bay with a connector. |
| Fleet | Your vehicles and RFID cards. |
| RFID card | The card a vehicle uses to authenticate at the charging station and which assigns the charging session to your fleet. |
| Autocharge | Authentication without an RFID card: the vehicle authenticates itself when it is plugged in. To use it, enter the vehicle's MAC address in Depotcharge; both the vehicle and the charging station must support the function. |
| Tariff | The price set by a depot operator. Select the correct country straight away, as it determines the currency and VAT. |
| Agreement offer | The depot operator's offer, which specifies which fleets are permitted to charge and at what tariff. |
| Agreement | The accepted offer, which is what makes charging possible in the first place. |
4.Note
You do not need any new hardware for Depotcharge: your existing RFID cards, charging stations and current backend simply keep running. The integration works with any common charging station that supports OCPP, the standard via which charging stations communicate with a backend, and typically takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Your drivers do not need their own account; they use the RFID card or the Driver Web App.