Solving the White-label vs Custom mobile app dilemma in EV charging 

Discover how CPOs can approach the EV driver mobile app experience with AMPECO

Charge point operators do more than sell electricity; they create experiences. Their success hinges on choosing the right locations, the best chargers, and Charge Point Management Systems (CPMS) for optimal operations. 

But the heart of the EV charging experience occurs in the mobile app. This is where drivers turn to find the most conveniently located chargers and control their charging sessions from start to end.

More than a tool, the app is a chance for CPOs to stand out and differentiate from other players on the market. Through the app, they can offer unique services, try new business models, and build a loyal customer base. It’s a business-critical element that should be approached strategically and with deep understanding. 

The White-label vs Custom mobile app dilemma

When solving the EV driver mobile app experience, CPOs who are entering the market typically find themselves at a crossroads between choosing a white-labelled solution or a custom-developed mobile app. 

Using a white-labeled mobile app

Using a white-labelled mobile app is particularly beneficial for CPOs whose core business strategies revolve around site selection, contract negotiations, efficient installations, and diligent charger maintenance rather than investing in crafting a unique mobile app user experience. It is an ideal option for those newly entering the market, aiming for rapid network growth and immediate brand visibility. A white-labelled mobile app offers the following benefits for CPOs:

• Opting for a white-labelled mobile app allows CPOs to quickly go to market, often having their app operational within just 2 months. 
• This option offers brand flexibility, enabling the incorporation of company branding for consistent recognition across platforms. 
• White-label apps are equipped with a broad range of features, catering to various use cases and ensuring a comprehensive service offering.
• CPOs can also leverage the expertise of their software providers, thereby avoiding the common pitfalls associated with starting from scratch and accelerating their business progress. 
• Financially, this route is efficient with a lower initial investment and manageable ongoing maintenance fees, making it a prudent choice for businesses looking to scale their operations. 
• This option provides valuable data on user needs and behaviors, which can be instrumental in informing future enhancements to the user experience (UX).

Tapping into this opportunity with AMPECO

AMPECO offers a white-label mobile app solution tailored to the needs of CPOs. It includes iOS and Android apps, updated weekly, that enable CPOs to address both public and home charging use cases. This option provides comprehensive brand customization options, ensuring the app truly reflects the CPO’s identity. Equipped with an extensive feature set coupled with industry-leading UX and design capabilities, CPOs are positioned favorably in the dynamic EV charging market.

Building your own mobile app

Building a custom mobile app can be an ideal route for CPOs who want to have a strong eMSP offering and carve out a unique value proposition through innovative technology. This option is tailored for those who seek:

• Complete control over the User Experience (UX), tailoring every aspect to fit their vision.
• The agility to rapidly introduce custom functionality, keeping pace with evolving market needs.
• Full ownership of their Intellectual Property, securing their innovations.
• A strong market differentiation beyond branding, which sets them apart in a competitive landscape.

Developing a custom mobile app typically takes over a year, depending on the project’s scope. As a result, a prerequisite for this option is for CPOs to have a skilled development team (or a team capable of managing an external tech provider), sufficient financing, and the bandwidth to commit to this extensive undertaking.

Tapping into this opportunity with AMPECO

AMPECO partners with leading large-scale EV charging providers worldwide who leverage the platform to run their EV charging management business and have built a custom mobile app. Our dedicated team of Technical Architecture Consultants excels in crafting tailored solutions aligning with each client’s unique needs. This expertise is refined through extensive collaboration with charge point operators across 45 markets.

The AMPECO platform’s extensibility is possible because the AMPECO API enables CPOs to leverage the full platform functionalities. This powerful API does more than facilitate data transfer and process automation; it offers CPOs the entire suite of EV charging capabilities developed by AMPECO—including charge point management, tariff management, user management, load balancing, subscription plans and more. 

Weighing white-label vs. own mobile app development with AMPECO

The decision between a white-label and a custom-developed mobile app might also be a consideration for existing operators contemplating a switch in their solution. AMPECO’s expertise extends to scoping and managing migrations for CPOs transitioning their charge point management software to our platform. Ensuring a seamless transition for the EV drivers to the new mobile app is a process we have refined and optimized for clients in over 45 markets.

Three more options for shaping the EV driver mobile app experience with AMPECO

Beyond the conventional choice of white-label versus custom-built, there are three more options for shaping the EV driver mobile app experience. Though less apparent, these alternatives offer nuanced benefits that can enhance the CPOs’ offering.

Extend a white-label mobile app with custom functionality

This unique option, developed by AMPECO, merges the best of both worlds: it offers all the advantages of using a white-label app while allowing the integration of tailor-made interfaces, workflows, and functionalities. 

AMPECO’s white-label app includes a proprietary feature that enables the incorporation of external web applications, which can be embedded as custom menu options or integrated as distinct screens within the user interface. When these new elements are designed to match the app’s overall design, they blend seamlessly into the existing EV driver user experience.

This capability exemplifies the inherent flexibility of the AMPECO platform. It enables large-scale EV charging providers with the tools to address new use cases or develop new business models. CPOs can concentrate on building the desired distinctive elements to what is already available rather than starting from scratch.

Schedule a demo to explore the capabilities of the AMPECO mobile app and learn how you can extend its functionality to suit your needs. Our team of EV charging specialists is ready to discuss your unique requirements and guide you through the custom solutions that can address your specific use cases.

Incorporate EV charging seamlessly into an existing mobile app

Integrating EV charging into an existing mobile app is preferred for companies operating in diverse industries with an existing user base and mobile app. Often, these companies seek to expand their service portfolio by adding EV charging as an additional offering.

Whether the company functions as a CPO or exclusively as an eMSP, it can seamlessly integrate EV charging into its pre-existing mobile app. This concept is referred to as “a super app” where users access, utilize and make payments for various services through a single app account.

AMPECO facilitates this approach through its powerful API, which enables CPOs to leverage the full platform functionalities and build a custom EV charging experience within another application.

Operate without a mobile app

While less common, there are scenarios where CPOs opt not to have a client-facing mobile app. Instead, they focus solely on charger installations, maintenance, and operation, entrusting the EV driver experience and management to other entities.

In this setup, the CPO exposes its charging stations through roaming agreements with eMSPs who have their own mobile apps and established user bases. EV drivers can find and navigate to the charging stations and manage the charging sessions directly through the eMSPs’ mobile app.

For public or destination chargers, CPOs can choose to support ad-hoc payments exclusively through payment terminals. In this scenario, EV drivers initiate and complete payments directly using credit or debit cards, eliminating the need for a mobile app. A web interface can complement this setup, enabling EV drivers to obtain receipts or invoices as needed.

The AMPECO platform is well-equipped to support CPOs in implementing this option. It serves as the foundation for all essential elements, offering integration with major roaming hubs or the capability to construct custom OCPI connections with eMSPs. Furthermore, AMPECO facilitates integrations with leading payment terminal providers, providing a comprehensive solution for an ad-hoc charging experience from a billing perspective.

Conclusion

The CPO’s business strategy often defines its approach to the EV charging mobile app dilemma. However, this approach is not set in stone and can change based on various factors, including the business’s stage of development, available funding, planned time to market, and the strategy for market differentiation.

One possible strategy is to begin with a white-label solution. This allows the CPO to quickly enter the market, gain initial traction, learn about specific needs, and establish brand recognition. 

As the business matures, it can then progress to enhancing the solution natively with custom functionality, particularly when expanding into new markets or serving different types of clients. Eventually, the CPO may opt to develop its own fully customized mobile app.

The choice of how to approach the EV driver mobile app is not strictly linear; CPOs have the flexibility to enter any of these stages and pivot in any direction as the business landscape evolves.