ChargePilot FAQs

Our answers to your questions about smart charging with ChargePilot from The Mobility House

General questions about ChargePilot

Can I charge multiple electric vehicles simultaneously at my location without blowing the fuse?

Yes! ChargePilot ensures that the configured maximum capacity is not exceeded. The system either gradually reduces the charging power per electric vehicle or ensures that the charging processes are carried out staggered. This is how we at The Mobility House ensure efficient, reliable charging operations and provide the greatest convenience when charging.

How can I monitor the charging processes in my depot?

In the ChargePilot Web Portal you can monitor all charging processes in real-time and check the status information of individual charging stations at any time. In the menu item "Activities" you can also get a detailed overview of past charging processes and export them as CSV files.

How can I manage individual charging processes via ChargePilot?

The user, for example the fleet manager or charging depot operator, can use the ChargePilot Web Portal to prioritize charging processes, start and stop individual charging points or restart them in the event of faults.

Can guests or people without RFID authentication charge at my charging stations?

Yes. There are two ways to do this: you can provide your guests with dedicated RFID cards during their stay. Alternatively, in the installation process one or more charging stations can be configured for charging without authentication. You can also have this configuration changed afterwards by The Mobility House.

Is it possible to control bidirectional charging processes with ChargePilot?

ChargePilot has been specifically developed to meet not only the current, but also future mobility needs. In 2019, we successfully completed testing the necessary functions and protocols (ISO 15118-20) for controlling bidirectional charging processes. Bidirectional charging in general is already possible, at least for local Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) applications. With regard to Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications, we believe that legislation will not be ready until 2023.

Questions on functionalities & order process 

I would like to purchase ChargePilot. What do I need?
  • Compatible charging infrastructure: First of all, you need charging stations that are compatible with both your electric vehicle and ChargePilot. You can find a list of all compatible charging stations here and they should be installed by a qualified electrician. Please note that all charging stations must be connected to the Smart Charging Controller via LAN cable.
  • Mains and Internet connection: ChargePilot is controlled by our local Smart Charging Controller. This requires a 230-V mains connection and an Internet connection. The Internet connection can either be established via an existing network or a separate LTE router available in our Connectivity package.
  • ChargePilot software: The ChargePilot standard package (link to the shop) includes all the necessary components to set up and control up to 15 charging stations. You will receive a detailed installation manual when you order ChargePilot. We will be happy to give you more information in-person or by phone.
I have already installed charging stations from various manufacturers. Can I control the charging processes intelligently in one system?

Yes, ChargePilot can control charging stations from different manufacturers within the same load management group, given that they have an interface to the OCPP communication protocol.

Here is a list of all the charging stations that are compatible with our system. The list is constantly expanding to maximize your flexibility for future mobility requirements.

Can I integrate additional charging stations into ChargePilot at a later date?

Yes. An unlimited number of charging stations can be added to the system at a later date.

Is it also possible to combine AC and DC charging points at the same location?

Yes, ChargePilot allows alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) high-speed charging stations to be controlled from a single Controller at one location.

What is the maximum number of charging points ChargePilot can manage?

In theory, the number of charging points is unlimited. The number is only limited by the hardware (i.e. the computing power of the Controller). However, this can be adjusted if required.

Does ChargePilot also consider existing power producers?

The functions for the integration of photovoltaic systems are still being developed. Concrete projects have already been developed with manufacturers of combined heat and power units (CHP). The electricity surplus produced can thus be used to charge the electric vehicles. As with dynamic load management, this requires a digital energy meter with current transformers, which measures the excess power and communicates it to the Controller.

Can ChargePilot be used to bill charging processes in compliance with EU calibration law?

Yes, you can use ChargePilot to bill charging processes of your employees or other known users in compliance with German calibration regulations. Here you will find an overview of charging stations that fulfil the technical requirements. For further information on calibration law, check out our Q&A.

Our billing solution works with two charging stations so far: Compleo Advanced Solo and Alfen Eve Double. The Mobility House invoices whoever uses the charging stations on behalf of the charge point owner on a quarterly basis. After receiving the payment, The Mobility House transfers the collected costs to the charge point owner.

Questions on system operation

Why is my electric vehicle not charging?

This could be caused by a number of things:

  1. Cable not plugged in properly - Unplug the charging cable from the electric vehicle and, if possible, from the charging station and then plug back in again.
  2. Electric vehicle not authenticated - Have you held your RFID card up to the card reader on the charging station? Charging stations with displays will show you whether or not authentication is necessary. If it still does not work, please try another RFID card. If that fails, please contact our The Mobility House customer service hotline (+49 89215 38 054, Mon-Fri, 8 AM to 6 PM (CET)).
  3. Electric vehicle is waiting in the queue - Your electric vehicle may be waiting in the queue because there is currently not enough charging power for all the electric vehicles in your fleet. As soon as there is enough power for your electric vehicle, it will start charging. You can view details of individual charging processes in the ChargePilot Web Portal.
  4. The vehicle is in gear - this may sound like a strange reason, but it is sometimes the case with some electric vehicle models. The car must be in P (Park) for charging to start.
My car is charging, but with very little power, even though there are no other cars plugged in.

It is possible that the charging power in the vehicle has been set to a lower charging-power level. This cannot be overridden by the load management system.

Can I prioritize individual vehicles so that they are recharged as quickly as possible?

Yes, you can prioritize the corresponding charging station in the ChargePilot Web Portal. This means that the vehicle at the prioritized charging station is charged first and with the maximum charging power available. Please note that prioritizing too many charging stations nullifies the desired effect.

According to which criteria can loading priorities be set?

Prioritized charging can be selected for individual charging points or RFIDs. Further prioritization options are available based on departure time and SoC (State of Charge). In these cases, however, the necessary data must be transmitted to The Mobility House by the vehicle / user. Therefore, the feature is currently only used in selected projects (public transport, logistics). As soon as the vehicles and charging stations enable the necessary data transmission, this feature will of course be available for the general market.

In the ChargePilot Web Portal I see that a charging station is currently out of order. What can I do?

In the first step you can take the following measures:

  1. Disconnect the power from the charging station and reconnect it
  2. Disconnect the LAN cable between the controller and the charging station and reconnect it.
If the charging station is still out of order after trying these steps, please contact our customer service team (+49 89 215 38 054, Mon-Fri, 8 AM to 6 PM (CET)). Please note that only authorized persons are permitted to perform these two steps.
What consequences does an interruption of the Internet connection have on load management?

Load management is carried out by the Smart Charging Controller of The Mobility House, which is installed on site. The default value set in the ChargePilot system is taken into account by the Controller even without an active Internet connection ensuring that the network connection is not exceeded. That means that the charging processes are controlled without any interruption, even if the Internet connection is temporarily lost.

My RFID card is not being recognized. What could be the cause?

Test your RFID chip on another free charging station. If the chip is also not recognized by this station, please contact The Mobility House customer services (+49 89 215 38 054, Mon-Fri, 8 AM to 6 PM (CET)).

I have lost an RFID chip. Where can I get a new one?

You can order a new RFID card or RFID chip at any time from The Mobility House customer service (+49 89 215 38 054, Mon-Fri, 8 AM to 6 PM (CET)).

 Technical questions

Which components does the ChargePilot system consist of? How are they connected?

ChargePilot is operated via the Smart Charging Controller from The Mobility House (KUNBUS, RevPi Core 3). The Controller can be connected to The Mobility House’s Cloud application via LAN or mobile network connection. Additional hardware is required for mobile network communication. The charging stations are connected via LAN via a network switch.

How is ChargePilot connected to the Internet?

There are two options for connection: via an existing building network or via an LTE router. In the second case, communication with the backend works via mobile data and is completely independent of the existing network. Find out more about the Connectivity package here.

What third-party interfaces does the system offer?

Open interfaces of ChargePilot to third-party systems are a top priority. These are the prerequisites that make our system scalable and hardware agnostic. You will find a detailed overview here.

What IT security standards does the system offer?

Communication between the Smart Charging Controller and the Cloud of The Mobility House uses TLS encryption. All sensitive settings are encrypted and stored in a database (hashed and salted). In addition, it is possible to implement two-factor authentication for user authentication.

How is it ensured that the software on the Controller is always up-to-date?

System updates for the Controller are provided over-the-air (OTA). This means that systems already implemented on-site can also use the latest free functions of ChargePilot - without any effort on the part of the user. We regularly inform our users about additional fee-based new functions via our Web Portal and our newsletter.

Does ChargePilot measure and optimize performance with phase accuracy?

Yes, the charging stations communicate the power level to the Controller without phase delay. The charging algorithm takes these values into account when controlling the charging processes. No additional measuring devices are required for this. This also limits the unbalanced load according to VDE-AR-N 4100.

How quickly does ChargePilot react to changes in building load?

Thanks to local control, ChargePilot reacts to fluctuations in the building load within a few seconds and adjusts charging power accordingly.

Questions regarding energy savings

How does The Mobility House calculate the CO2  savings of vehicles?

To calculate the emissions of a combustion fleet, the mileage is calculated using the total energy consumption of the depot and the energy usage of the electric vehicles.

Energy Savings

Calculation basis:

E = energy consumption

Mercedes V-Class Vito: 330g CO2/km = 0,33kg CO2/km

electricity mix CO2 emissions: 489g/kWh = 0,49g/kWh

Mercedes V-Class E-Vito: 0,27 kWh/km