EV charging economics for fleet operators and CPOs: soundbites from the 2024 Fast Lane virtual conference

The 2024 Fast Lane virtual conference brought together key players and thinkers from the electric mobility industry across four sessions. On their own, each session provided the sort of thought-provoking perspective you’d expect from experts in the field.

But looking back at them together, the anecdotes, statistics and insights paint a picture of an industry both technically complex and dependent on the feedback loop powered by real-world experiences.

With our next virtual conference only a few months away, we’re taking a look back at how the sessions unfolded through some key soundbites.

Targets, tariffs and CPOs

Don’t get left behind: the trends that shaped electric mobility in 2025

Ryan Fisher of BloombergNEF opened the virtual conference by taking a journey through some of the key numbers and outlooks for EV sales and EV charging, providing insights into the factors that will continue to influence the industry as it matures.

“There’s almost a quadrupling of the industry since 2020. This year (2025) looks like there’ll still be some growth on a global basis, but then there’s also some regional trends to be aware of, which shows the plateauing of Europe compared to some other markets.”

- Ryan Fisher, BloombergNEF

According to BloombergNEF, global EV sales in 2023 reached almost 14 million, representing a near quadrupling compared to 2020. However, a closer look revealed that Europe had been stagnating slightly since around mid-2022, while China continued on an upward trajectory.

With the potential influx of Chinese EVs, as well as European fuel economy legislation that includes the UK’s ZEV mandate and the EU’s regulations for light-duty vehicles, brands such as ŠKODA, Renault, and Volkswagen are introducing more reasonably priced EV models in 2025 and 2026 to work towards the required EV sales targets. This is already evident in the first half of 2025.

Though the demand for charging stations could increase with the expansion of the global EV fleet, Ryan suggested it isn’t a simple calculation, and more EV drivers may not necessarily mean a need for home chargers. In fact, there may be a disproportionate reliance on public charging stations, which could lead to increased pressure on Charge Point Operators (CPOs) to secure consistent and financially attractive sources of electricity.

The point was made that CPOs like Allego, Electrify America, and Fastned entering into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with electricity generators represent a “hedge on electricity,” as they lock in stable prices for the future. As Ryan suggested, “how you buy and trade electricity will matter across public and private charging business strategies because there’s a big play on flexibility.”  

The vaylens view for fleet operators and CPOs

Large CPOs will want to allocate the electricity between public and private charging in a manner that boosts their margins. However, drivers and fleet operators can also make choices to lessen the burden on their bank accounts.

For fleet operators managing a significant number of vehicles, there’s a greater chance that these vehicles will need to stop at public charging stations with unpredictable tariffs. However, with home energy contracts being more stable and often running at a lower rate, operators could encourage employees to install home charging stations and have the energy they use to charge their company vehicles reimbursed.

It’s a win-win for fleet operators and their drivers: less likelihood of higher energy costs for businesses to pay, more convenience for the drivers who don’t always need to charge at the depot. This is the future of fleet charging management and it’s easy to attain with the right software and expertise.

The ebbs and flows of energy costs, combined with the varying use cases for EVs, mean that EV adoption will continue to fluctuate across demographics and sectors. The following session decided to move the other way, however, and speak about consistency: namely, how EV charging infrastructure must embody this concept to improve the overall experience for those charging on a daily basis.

Do EVs and CPOs offer enough?

Take a swipe: the future of the EV charging experience

Philipp Graf and Christian Hahn took up the second session by debating the need for software flexibility versus hardware compatibility, among other key topics related to user experience.

It’s easy to think of the total cost of ownership as just the price of an EV and the ongoing tariffs, but there’s also a mental cost if the everyday experience of charging an EV is stressful or unpredictable. Thanks to the advent of open standards and protocols, it’s becoming easier to charge where you like and use a payment option that suits you. However, we’re not all the way there yet.

“I believe it’s super important to give choices to EV drivers because when we started all of this years ago, most of the drivers were also believers in electric mobility and willing to accept some challenges on the customer experience side. Now, there will be customers who prefer to use a credit card, app, Plug & Charge or even an RFID card. I strongly believe that offering them this kind of portfolio is helpful [to the adoption of electric mobility].”

- Christian Hahn, Hubject

Naturally, offering different payment options for drivers and charging point access for certain Mobility Service Providers (MSPs) isn’t a straightforward affair. Christian also argued that “the more choices we need to have in place, the more complex these systems are to operate,” with attractive solutions being one thing, but establishing the right partnership and agreements something else entirely.

Still, in comparison to the expected jumps in physical technology, digital infrastructure could be the counterintuitive linchpin for an industry currently dependant on wires and plugs, as Philipp made clear when asked about the role of software moving forward:

“Is software becoming more central for CPOs and for other players in the market? I do believe, yes, and I also believe this is going to move on further as the market develops. While we will see hardware being replaced, if you think about bidirectional charging, there will be a whole new set of requirements coming where software can simply be updated; CPOs will largely stick with the software they choose for longer.”

- Philipp Graf, vaylens

But before technology like bidirectional charging becomes the norm, payment systems need to be standardised across as many regions and networks as possible if our industry wants EVs to be the first choice for first-time car buyers. In the industry’s infancy, there was a reliance on early adopters accepting the clunky nature of charging and payments. Now there needs to be signs of progression to make electric mobility the go-to choice, rather than just a viable option.

Even when the right technical choices are made so that software, hardware and payments work to benefit EV drivers, CPOs and fleet operators, it often comes at a price for the companies behind these systems and products. That price comes in the guise of mistakes, which was the central theme for the virtual conference’s third session.

Processes, passion and a journey around the world

If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry

Kristof Vereenooghe (CEO of Bnewable), Joerg Lohr (CEO of vaylens) and Marcus Fendt (CEO of The Mobility House) came together to share some of the good and bad experiences as long-serving members of the electric mobility industry. However, it was one statement that really summed up the difficulties faced by CPOs and manufacturers entering the market.

“At a certain moment, we internationalised too fast; there wasn’t enough focus on certain segments and products. We also underestimated the complexity of doing business in the US; it took us a year and a half to get our first product certified. It’s a nightmare because it’s expensive to do business there.”

- Kristof Vereenooghe, Bnewable

Kristof’s concession that moving too fast was a mistake shows the importance of planning for more thoughtful product-segment fits as opposed to just a general product-market one. Not all CPOs and manufacturers have the resources to be everything to everyone, and upcoming businesses would do well to focus on a specific use case that directly and consistently benefits one type of customer.

And even when the technical side of things is taken care of and business decisions are aligned with the hopes and dreams of customers, it’s the more intangible cultures and beliefs, combined with a bit of luck, that help companies overcome some major hurdles.

“We see the same hype currently with AI as we used to have with the electric mobility space, and at the end, it’s also a lot of luck. So, the key thing you can do is really try to create a motivating environment by hiring the right people and getting some momentum. Still, it’s luck, like which country you’re in, the regulations you must adhere to and what kind of investors you have.”

- Marcus Fendt, The Mobility House

Joerg capped off the session by reminding viewers that creating a better work-life balance is something he still struggles with, and that for those in the industry, it's good to remind yourself that progress often follows the pace of a marathon, not a sprint. Or, to translate the German idiom: grass doesn’t grow quicker if you pull on it.

A conversation with Lexie Limitless

Speaking of marathons, Lexie Alford, the youngest person to travel to every country in the world and the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle, was on hand to bring Fast Lane to a close.

"Driving around the world in an EV was one of the most challenging and rewarding adventures of my life. From charging in remote deserts to navigating chaotic cities, this journey taught me resilience and the potential of EV technology."

- Lexie Limitless

Lexie’s insights into global electric mobility provided some balance towards the end of a virtual conference dominated by financial, technical and business outlooks. Encouragingly, Lexie’s first-hand experience of electric mobility in different contexts and countries painted a picture of a world that is trying with the resources it has. But that doesn’t mean everything went smoothly.

“Of course, the charging infrastructure played a massive role in my daily life. I never thought I’d be obsessed with EV chargers and their speeds, but on the days we did have access to fast chargers, well, those were the best days.”

- Lexie Limitless

Lexie recalled her journey through Bhutan, which, she pointed out, had “one of the most advanced EV charging infrastructures despite its remote location.” This contrasted heavily with her journey through Africa, which often required her to rely on household outlets for charging. Because of this, it was no surprise that Lexie held the belief that the future of mobility is electric, but achieving this will require continued investment in infrastructure and public education.  

CPOs and fleet operators have a choice to make

Businesses in the electric mobility industry must invest in EV charging management software to stay on top of energy usage, driver expectations and developing infrastructure requirements. The discussions at last year’s virtual conference made it clear that while hardware and infrastructure are essential for the initial phases of adoption, it’s intelligent software that can help CPOs and fleet operators make electric mobility accessible to more people.

If you spend your days managing charging infrastructure or EV fleets, get in touch to find out how much easier it could be to efficiently keep your stations running and vehicles on the move.