ChargePoint, a deep dive interview with Uwe Münch, Director Bus & Transit Europe

ChargePoint’s Director Bus & Transit Europe, Uwe Münch, discusses bus depot charging, software, AI, megawatt charging, DC architecture, and how operators can reduce CAPEX and OPEX: enjoy

ChargePoint serves multiple customer segments, from passenger cars to buses and commercial fleets. How is the company organised today across these different markets, and what role does the transit-related business play within ChargePoint’s overall European strategy?

My role within the company is to lead what we call the Fleet Solutions team, which consists of roughly ten people located across Europe. Everyone has regional responsibility, meaning our account managers and sales managers combine regional expertise with experience in telematics and charging. Their responsibility is business development and sales.
The team focuses on commercial vehicles. Our number one priority is operational availability. Vehicles must always be ready for service. Once that is guaranteed, the second priority is achieving this at the lowest possible cost. For electric vehicles, that typically means reducing charging costs.
The team originally came from the public transport sector. When I joined four years ago, I would say that around 95 percent of our business was public transport, with a very strong telematics component.

Indeed, following the acquisition of ViriCiti in 2021…

Exactly. The second part of our business is CMS, our Charger Management System, including smart charging functionality and depot charging optimisation. We originally developed this from our experience in public transport. Over the last four years, however, the team has evolved as other commercial vehicle segments have started to electrify, particularly vans and now increasingly trucks. Today, we engage with these new customer groups using the same organisation.
Public transport continues to be the biggest part of our business within my team. At the same time, we are expanding into trucks and vans. This is a positive development because much of the experience we have gained over the years in operating bus depots also applies to truck and van depots.
The main difference is that buses are typically owned by the depot’s operator, whereas vehicles at logistics hubs often belong to multiple subcontractors. This creates an additional layer of complexity for electric charging. A subcontractor may charge at infrastructure owned by the logistics hub, meaning settlement, billing and payment mechanisms must be managed accordingly.
What we are now seeing in public transport is that some operators are looking for additional ways to improve the return on investment of their charging infrastructure.

How?

Some customers are considering using charging infrastructure that is normally utilised overnight by buses during daytime hours for third parties. In some cases, these third parties are municipal partners, such as waste collection fleets, which typically operate early during the day and charge in the afternoon while buses charge overnight. In other cases, operators are considering opening their infrastructure to partner companies within the same region.

That’s very interesting. Are there any specific case studies you can mention in central Europe, besides some quite known UK projects?

We are currently working on projects in France, the Netherlands and Germany. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose the names of the operators. These initiatives are still at an early stage, but the objective is to open bus depots to third-party charging.
One challenge in some locations is the presence of pantograph infrastructure, which makes it difficult to share charging facilities with van or truck fleets. In some cases, operators are considering installing additional plug-in chargers alongside the pantograph infrastructure while using the same grid connection and the same battery storage.

Do you still see momentum for pantograph charging?

I think the trend is gradually moving away from pantograph charging. Of course, operators that have already invested in pantograph systems will continue using them.
By the way, we are about to roll out an entirely new DC charging platform called Express. The first units are being shipped to test customers, and broader availability will follow in the coming months.
This new system is currently based on plug-in solutions. It includes monolithic, distributed, and hybrid solutions. At least for Europe, supporting pantograph charging is not part of our first roll-out. We do offer pantograph solutions in the United States, but in Europe we simply do not see sufficient demand beyond bus applications.

On the other hand, some operators, such as BVG in Berlin, are equipping depots with pantographs to support possible future autonomous bus fleets. Could autonomous driving create renewed demand for pantograph charging?

Well, indeed one of the challenges with autonomous vehicles is that charging also needs to become autonomous. However, you will obviously never use a pantograph to charge a passenger car. For that reason, I believe we will eventually see automated plug-in charging solutions capable of serving autonomous vehicles.

Returning to the topic of improving the profitability of charging infrastructure, we discussed increasing utilisation time windows. Are there other ways operators can reduce costs or improve returns?

There are two main aspects. The first is designing the charging infrastructure properly from the beginning. Quite often, we see infrastructure being oversized. Simply by designing the depot correctly, significant savings can already be achieved. Our new Express architecture supports direct DC-to-DC integration: essentially, you have one part of the central unit performing the AC-to-DC conversion to a standard voltage which feeds multiple DC-to-DC converters for each charging outlet. Since such DC-to-DC converters can take a DC input from other sources like PV or stationary batteries, the solution also enables the creation of a DC grid throughout the depot, making the cabling considerably simpler. Based on the new system, we estimate that the overall investment required for a depot could be reduced by around 30%.

How do you achieve that 30% reduction in investment? Is it because the equipment itself is less expensive, because you use fewer materials, or simply because the system is more efficient?

It’s mainly because the overall architecture is more efficient and requires fewer components. You simply need fewer parts, with improved cabling between transformer, the main charger and the satellites, for example, and that makes the overall installation much more efficient. In addition, our new system makes it much easier to integrate battery storage.

How?

It allows direct integration of battery storage with the DC charger. Instead of converting the battery’s DC power into AC and then back from AC to DC through the charger, we connect the battery storage directly at the DC level. The same applies to photovoltaic systems.
By keeping the energy on the DC side throughout the process, we avoid multiple AC/DC conversions. Every conversion results in energy losses, so eliminating those steps significantly improves overall efficiency.

And the second ‘pillar’ operators should address in order to reduce costs?

The second part is optimising the operation of the charging system. Here we move from CAPEX to OPEX. When operators manage charging today, we increasingly see them moving away from fixed electricity tariffs or simple day-and-night pricing towards fully flexible electricity tariffs.
That means you need to optimise exactly when each vehicle charges. You charge only when electricity prices are low and only to the level that is actually required. There is no reason to overcharge a vehicle. Selling energy to someone else can also create additional revenue.
Finally, there is another option: converting CAPEX into OPEX. Instead of investing directly in the charging infrastructure, operators can adopt a leasing model, Energy-as-a-Service or payment models based on kilometers driven or kilowatt-hours consumed.
In that case, a financing or project development partner builds and owns the charging infrastructure, while the operator simply pays for its use. This model tends to make more sense where public subsidies are not available.

It’s also a question of regulation. In countries such as Germany and Italy, financing in public transport is still closely linked to public ownership of the assets. Many operators also can obtain much better financing conditions from banks to purchase vehicles than through leasing…

Indeed we see stronger demand for OPEX models in some countries than in others. The UK is one example where demand is clearly higher. Overall, however, until now most tenders are still based on the traditional CAPEX model rather than OPEX.

Which are ChargePoint’s main public transport markets in Europe?

We’re active across most European markets, but our strongest presence is in the DACH region, France, Benelux, the UK and Italy. We also have operations in Spain and Ireland. Most recently, we won part of the Irish NTA tender.

OEMs are increasingly repositioning themselves as mobility and service providers rather than simply vehicle manufacturers, expanding into telematics, fleet management, charging and digital services. Do you see OEMs primarily as strategic partners, or could they become in future a source of competition?

For me, the answer is very clear: partnership. The reason OEMs are moving in this direction is largely because tenders require it. A customer may ask them to deliver 100 buses, but the tender also requires charging infrastructure, construction work, charging software and the complete ecosystem.
We’ve had very positive experiences with companies such as Iveco and Daimler, where we provide telematics, charging management, charge planning and related software. They need partners like us, and we equally need them.
On our own, we cannot bid for these large integrated tenders. Likewise, OEMs often need specialist partners to complete their offering.

Charging is becoming increasingly software-driven. Where do you think most value is being created today: in hardware or in software such as energy management and fleet management?

Innovation is certainly still happening on the charging infrastructure side. However, when you look at day-to-day operations and ask how to run a depot as efficiently as possible, software becomes absolutely crucial. And I’m not talking only about a traditional Charger Management System that simply monitors chargers. The real opportunity lies in connecting charging demand, which, in public transport, is highly predictable, with electricity markets. The first objective is to purchase energy at the lowest possible cost. The second is to participate actively in the wider energy market.
If your software enables participation in flexibility markets, you already know how much energy you need and within which time window you need it. Whether you begin charging at six o’clock in the evening or at two o’clock in the morning often makes little operational difference, provided every vehicle is ready for service on time.
That flexibility itself has value. It can be traded on the electricity market. In effect, you tell the market: “This is the amount of energy I need. Tell me when it is best to consume it.” These markets are still developing, but we are actively working on solutions that allow operators to participate. The result is not only lower electricity costs but also additional revenue opportunities while contributing to grid stability. The one condition that must always be guaranteed is that every vehicle reaches the required state of charge before its next scheduled service.

Are you already implementing these concepts with customers, or are they still mainly ideas you are advocating? Do you already have projects in Europe based on this approach?

Some of these concepts are already in use, while others are still at the pilot stage. Price optimisation is already a standard feature. That’s something that is requested today by customers almost everywhere in Europe. The same applies to vehicle preconditioning based on the VDV 261 standard. Regarding flexibility trading and demand response, we currently have pilot projects in France. We are also discussing further projects in Spain and the UK. At this stage, they are still in a pilot or evaluation phase, but I’m convinced this is the direction the market will take.

Megawatt charging is a topic we cannot avoid. Where do you think the market stands today? Looking at intercity segment, do you see megawatt charging as a fundamental enabler or simply one element within a broader charging ecosystem?

Megawatt charging is certainly important for long-haul applications and for public charging. For long-haul trucks, and potentially coaches, it can certainly provide value by reducing charging times during mandatory breaks. We will enter the megawatt charging market ourselves.
Our solution will support charging capacities of more than 1.5 MW through a distributed architecture, allowing that power to be distributed across multiple charging ports.
I believe this technology will be more important for the truck market than for passenger transport.
For intercity bus operations, however, I actually expect the market to develop more around depot-to-depot charging rather than public charging. Public charging remains relatively expensive. What we increasingly see is operators reaching agreements with one another to use depot charging infrastructure instead. They can benefit from lower electricity costs and simply exchange access between their respective depots. Instead of using an expensive public charging station, an intercity bus may charge at another operator’s depot before continuing its route. From an operational and economic perspective, that is a much more efficient solution.
Intercity buses also tend to spend a reasonable amount of time at their destination before beginning the return journey. Because of those longer dwell times, ultra-fast charging may not always be necessary.
We are now seeing the first electric intercity buses entering the market and are already working on models that help customers minimise charging costs. At the moment, fast charging, perhaps 350 kW or 500 kW, is certainly useful. Whether operators will genuinely need megawatt charging remains to be seen.

So you don’t see megawatt charging as a game changer for buses?

Not necessarily. We have already seen many operators invest in very high-power chargers, only to discover later that most buses could comfortably meet their schedules charging at around 50 kW. Slower charging is generally better for battery life, and with proper operational planning many operators could have made significantly smaller investments in charging infrastructure.

You’ve been mentioning a number of new technologies. When are you going to showcase them?

We will already have one of the new stations on display at IAA Transportation in Hannover. We are working very closely with Eaton, which is well known for its expertise in power distribution, transformers and grid connection technologies.
Together with Eaton, we are developing solutions that, as mentioned, combine battery storage, charging infrastructure and DC grid capabilities. The objective is to eliminate unnecessary power conversions between AC and DC throughout the charging process.
The result is higher efficiency, lower infrastructure investment and a higher energy density within the available depot space.

Can you give an example?

One example is our new Express Solo charger, that we announced in April. Compared with previous solutions, Express Solo delivers approximately 40% higher power density per square metre.
It is a monolithic charger by design, but it can also be paired with additional dispensers to charge multiple vehicles while sharing up to 600 kW of available power. This allows operators to increase the number of charging ports for different applications without replacing the main power unit.
From my perspective, the Express architecture is an excellent solution for bus depots. The basic configuration can simultaneously charge two vehicles, while additional dispensers can be added as charging demand grows, offering a scalable solution without requiring new power modules or major changes to the site’s electrical infrastructure.

When will the new platform become commercially available?

Initial testing units are now underway, while volume deliveries are scheduled to begin next year.

In early 2024, ChargePoint announced a global reorganisation aimed at improving efficiency and supporting long-term growth. What impact has that restructuring had on your public transport business?

What we actually did was reshape the organisation, particularly on the sales side, to allow a much stronger focus on specific applications and industries. As we discussed earlier, my team is no longer operating purely within a public transport silo. We are leveraging everything we learned from the bus sector while investing much more heavily in the truck and van markets. In reality, our team is growing rather than shrinking.
In the commercial vehicle sector, it has made us much more effective. The reason is simple: commercial vehicles have become the fastest-growing segment and, in our view, the market with the greatest long-term potential.

One final topic: Artificial Intelligence. Is AI already delivering measurable benefits for ChargePoint? Is it something you’re actively implementing, advocating or still mainly exploring?

We have already implemented AI within our software. For example, when customers use our Charger Management System, they can interact with AI to generate reports and analytics. Instead of manually searching through data, they can simply ask questions, such as: “What was the average energy consumption of this fleet?” or “How much energy was delivered at this location?” There is certainly much more to come.
Internally, there is also a strong push to use AI throughout the company, particularly in software development and other business functions. At the same time, we are being very careful.
We want to use AI where it genuinely creates value, rather than introducing it simply for the sake of using AI. It has to deliver a real benefit and not become an additional burden.