How EV Charger Manufacturers Can Reduce Costs by Using Open Source

Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe Exhibition Program 2025 | Exhibition Program | Language: English | Duration: 14:21 .

PIONIX CEO Marco Champions Open-Source Solutions and Linux Transition for EV Charging Infrastructure at Munich Event

Marco, a PhD in physics and informatics from the Technical University of Darmstadt, is leading PIONIX GmbH as CEO with an aim to transform EV charging infrastructure through open-source technology. At ICNC, he addressed "Chargerangst," where 10-25% of EV charging fails due to interoperability issues among various car types and systems. He criticized the slow adoption of standards like OCPP 2.1 across different regions for causing inefficiencies. To tackle these challenges without increasing complexity or redundancy in standards, PIONIX proposes Everest—an open-source ecosystem under Linux Foundation Energy—to create a unified operating system for chargers globally. This initiative seeks seamless integration by providing pre-tested solutions accessible worldwide while encouraging collaboration within industry giants such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz alongside over thirty organizations contributing significantly towards reducing error rates internationally. The discussion also compared Linux-based systems versus microcontroller-based ones for charging stations; despite being cheaper initially, microcontrollers complicate software development at scale due to large codebases' complexities. Consequently, many vendors prefer slightly costlier Linux platforms that simplify software processes—a choice aligning with Marco's strategic decision favoring Linux given its growing sector acceptance.

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Speaker

Dr. Marco Möller
CEO
PIONIX GmbH

Talk of session: Safe and User-Friendly Charging Infrastructure is More Than Just a Socket

Charging Infrastructure at Its Limit - Think Ahead or Fall Behind!A functioning charging infrastructure is the key to making electromobility a success in the mass market. Reliable and secure charging solutions determine wh+D32ether charging networks remain stable, profitable, and future-proof.Does security start at the payment terminal at the charging station, the electric vehicle, or the power grid? What happens if operators can future-proof their charging networks with a simple software update - or get left behind? How can manufacturers cut costs with open-source solutions without compromising security and performance? And what does Section 14a of the German Energy Industry Act (§14a EnWG) mean in practice - a curse or an opportunity for grid operators?

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