How BEW manages its local charging infrastructure with vaylens EV charging management software

BEW (Bergische Energie- und Wasser-GmbH) has been committed to electric mobility since 2011. The company initially installed charging stations for its own fleet of utility vehicles and now operates around 60 public charge points powered by 100% renewable electricity. As a municipal utility company, BEW has a responsibility to provide sustainable energy and expand charging infrastructure for customers in the local region.

The challenge: Develop profitable, efficient EV charging infrastructure

Bergische Energie- und Wasser-GmbH (BEW) is one of the pioneers in the Bergisches Land region, setting up its own EV charging stations back in 2011. Today, it operates around 60 charge points powered entirely by renewable energy. But as an early adopter, BEW didn’t just gain valuable experience; it also faced some unique challenges. This included complex technical requirements, administrative issues and the introduction of German calibration laws, known as Eichrecht, for measuring devices—naturally, this includes EV charging stations.

With a legal obligation to comply with calibration standards, every EV charging session must be billed precisely and transparently in kWhs. For BEW, which had already developed its own tariffs and processes, this meant substantial changes: technology had to be upgraded and billing processes adapted to deliver complete transparency to EV charging customers.

These requirements quickly took their toll, and it became increasingly difficult for BEW to operate efficiently with the current hardware-software setup.

“We launched our own electric mobility tariff very early on, but quickly realised that running it profitably was almost impossible.”

Frank Buchholz, Fleet Manager, BEW

This experience made it clear that BEW needed to simplify its backend processes, make billing more transparent and significantly reduce the day-to-day workload for its staff.

The solution: Automation with vaylens

BEW took a decisive step towards efficiency with vaylens’ charging management software. Many previously manual processes have been digitalised; billing, communication and administration features are now managed in the centralised Portal via easy-to-use modules that save time and resources.

“With vaylens’ new modules, the internal workload has dropped dramatically. It’s become really simple and appealing to offer new services to local drivers.”

Frank Buchholz, Fleet Manager, BEW

vaylens’ Community Charging module opened new opportunities for BEW, allowing them to offer customised, attractive EV charging tariffs without the effort of manually setting new rates or taking care of billing and communication.

Another advantage is the continuous improvement of the vaylens Portal in general. New charge points are now integrated smoothly, faults are automatically reported and infrastructure management is simpler than ever—everything you’d expect from an intuitive, fully functioning system.

In the full interview, Frank Buchholz explains how BEW overcame the challenges of building and operating charging infrastructure, and why working with vaylens is now key to their success.

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The result: Affordable but profitable local EV charging access

Through digitalisation, billing automation and the full integration of Eichrecht-compliant processes, BEW has significantly reduced its administrative workload. New charge points can be quickly added—in line with Eichrecht—to the vaylens Portal, so customers receive transparent, legally compliant billing. Plus, faults are detected early and often resolved remotely.

“Installing and managing charge points has become extremely easy. The workload used to be much higher, but now most of it is automated. Working with the vaylens Portal is genuinely enjoyable.”

Frank Buchholz, Fleet Manager, BEW

The introduction of the vaylens Portal has fundamentally simplified BEW’s daily operations; processes that once required considerable time and resources are now largely automated for greater efficiency.

For the region, this means reliable charging availability powered by 100% renewable energy, while customers benefit from fair pricing and easy access to charging. The Community Charging model has been especially successful, with 77 drivers already using it. Progress is also visible through infrastructure expansion: since adopting vaylens, BEW has added around 15 new charge points that were seamlessly integrated into the Portal.

“vaylens’ solutions are perfectly tailored to our needs. I would recommend every small and mid-sized municipal utility to seriously consider them.”

Frank Buchholz, Fleet Manager, BEW

BEW aims to add eight more charge points to its network by 2026, with the expansion continuing into 2030 to ensure both private and commercial drivers benefit from a steadily growing network.

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How vaylens can support local CPOs

BEW’s experience shows that running charging infrastructure is complex and resource-intensive, especially as a regional charge point operator. The right charging management software can, however, help reduce costs and add valuable services through automation and proactive data analysis; BEW isn’t the only example.

vaylens helps municipal utilities efficiently manage charging infrastructure and drive sustainable electric mobility across their regions. Discover the full suite of vaylens features or get in touch with one of our experts to find out how vaylens can improve your operation.