In today’s hyper-competitive EV charging landscape, leading charge point operators (CPOs) are discovering that neither a pure build-from-scratch approach nor an off-the-shelf solution fully meets their evolving needs. The most successful operators are adopting a strategic hybrid approach that combines reliable platform fundamentals with targeted customizations in areas that drive differentiation and competitive advantage.
AMPECO’s platform architecture specifically enables this balanced strategy. Our comprehensive white-label solution provides enterprise-grade reliability from day one, while our extensive API capabilities and developer tools empower CPOs to build custom experiences and integrations that drive their competitive advantages. This approach ensures operators can launch quickly, differentiate effectively, and scale confidently within a single, cohesive platform.
Let’s explore how innovative CPOs are implementing this strategic approach to create market-leading charging operations.
Creating tailored customer experiences while maintaining reliability
Challenge: How do you deliver unique customer experiences that set you apart from competitors without incurring the full burden of platform development and maintenance?
Elaway, which manages charging infrastructure for over 135,000 parking spaces across Europe, needed to address the specific needs of multi-family housing customers with specialized functionality not commonly found in standard charging platforms.
Rather than building a complete platform from scratch or compromising the customer experience with a standard solution, Elaway took a strategic approach: They enhanced AMPECO’s white-label app with custom features specifically designed for residential charging scenarios.
“Our multi-family housing customers have unique requirements,” explains Stian Bjørhei, CEO at Elaway. “By building our specialized residential charging features on top of AMPECO’s reliable platform, we delivered a customized solution for residents while building on AMPECO’s enterprise-grade infrastructure.”
This approach allowed Elaway to differentiate in a highly competitive market while focusing its development resources exclusively on customer-facing innovations that directly impacted its value proposition.
Challenge: For established enterprises like energy utilities, oil and gas companies, and retail chains, how do you incorporate EV charging into your existing digital ecosystem without creating a disjointed customer experience?
Several major European CPOs are leveraging AMPECO’s API capabilities to incorporate charging services directly into their existing customer portals and mobile apps. This integration strategy enables them to maintain a unified customer experience while offering charging as a natural extension of their core services.
A major energy retailer with over 3 million customers built its own customer-facing charging interface within its existing mobile app, pulling real-time charging data from AMPECO’s platform via APIs. This approach allowed them to maintain their established brand experience while offering new EV services without duplicating user accounts or creating separate apps for customers to download.
Driving operational excellence through custom business intelligence
Challenge: How do you create specialized operational tools that address your specific business model while maintaining a reliable charging infrastructure?
The most sophisticated CPOs are extending the hybrid approach to develop custom operational capabilities that address their specific business models:
A leading fleet operator built specialized dashboard views on top of AMPECO’s platform, which combines real-time charging data with its fleet management system. This integration enables its operations teams to optimize vehicle rotations and charging schedules from a single interface, creating significant operational efficiencies.
Another innovative implementation comes from a CPO serving multiple market segments who developed custom analytics tools that pull data from their CRM, charging operations, and energy management systems into unified visualizations. These tools provide actionable intelligence for business decisions, helping them optimize pricing, identify opportunities for infrastructure expansion, and improve customer retention.
Evolving with changing market needs
We’re seeing increasingly creative implementations of the strategic hybrid approach. Many CPOs start with AMPECO’s white-label solution and implement custom elements as they identify specific competitive opportunities.
Innovative operators are developing specialized solutions for workplace charging, residential communities, fleet operations, and retail environments—all while maintaining the core reliability and compliance benefits of an established platform.
This evolution reflects the reality that different aspects of a charging business require different levels of customization and control. By strategically deciding where to leverage proven platform capabilities and where to invest in custom development, CPOs can optimize both their technical resources and their market differentiation.
For charging network operators making platform decisions today, the key is to look beyond immediate requirements. The question isn’t just about solving current operational needs—it’s about choosing a platform that can evolve with your business and the broader market.
Our comprehensive playbook, ‘Build, Buy or Hybrid: The Evaluation Matrix for EV Charging Management Platforms provides a practical framework for identifying your competitive advantages and implementing the optimal platform approach.
Discover how your EV charging business can leverage AMPECO’s strategic approach to accelerate market entry, reduce costs, and build lasting competitive advantages.
