EV Charging API
Powerly EV Charging API Accelerate Mobility App Development
What is an EV Charging API?
EV businesses today rely on APIs to bring new mobility experiences to market faster. But what exactly is the value of using a dedicated EV charging API platform instead of integrating directly with vehicle hardware or automakers?
An EV charging API allows software applications to communicate with electric vehicles chargers. Using a charger’s built-in 3G or WiFi internet connection, these APIs retrieve key data such as charging status, battery levels, and vehicle location, without requiring external devices or dongles.
Currently, 97% of electric vehicles are connected cars, shipped with embedded connectivity. This means apps can interact with them remotely and securely.
By using an Powerly EV charging API, developers reduce onboarding friction, eliminate hardware costs, and gain access to standardized, real-time charger data across brands.
To explore what’s possible, check out Powerly’s Open API documentation.
What Data Can Your App Access with Powerly’s EV Charging API?
Powerly’s EV charging APIs offer access to a wide variety of real-time vehicle data, enabling you to build smarter mobility features and services.
Key API endpoints include:
- Charging status: Know if the EV is connected and actively charging.
- Remote control: Start or stop charging sessions programmatically.
- Battery capacity and limits: Access or configure charge thresholds.
- Location: Identify the vehicle’s current or last known geographic coordinates.
- Vehicle attributes: Access make, model, and model year information.
- Advanced brand-specific metrics: Such as charging voltage or estimated completion time.
With platforms like Powerly, developers can access this data via a unified, standardized EV charging API, regardless of the vehicle brand.
Real Examples from Apps Using EV Charging APIs
Charging Station Discovery and Routing
Apps that integrate charger-side APIs can provide drivers with real-time access to nearby charging stations. These APIs surface essential data like live availability, connector types, charging speed, pricing, and error status. With this information, navigation and routing apps can guide users to the nearest compatible and operational charging station, minimizing idle time and improving EV travel confidence.
Energy-Based Pricing and Dynamic Billing
Using Powerly’s EV Charging APIs, EV software providers can offer flexible, usage-based billing. Real-time data from the charger—such as total kWh delivered, charging speed, and start/stop timestamps—enables apps to implement dynamic pricing models. These can adjust based on time-of-use tariffs or user plans, and also serve in policy-driven systems like electricity-based road usage charge (RUC) programs.
Charging Infrastructure Analytics
Operators, businesses, and municipalities use APIs to extract key metrics across their charger networks, including uptime, session frequency, energy throughput, and fault diagnostics. These insights are crucial for optimizing charger performance, generating reports for stakeholders, and making data-driven decisions for infrastructure expansion. A centralized API like Powerly’s streamlines access to this data across brands and charger types.
Grid Load Balancing with Smart Chargers
Charger-side APIs enable real-time power control. By communicating with grid operators or demand response platforms, smart charging systems can reduce output during peak grid loads or shift charging sessions to low-demand periods. This makes energy distribution more efficient while keeping EV drivers fully charged without manual intervention. These integrations are especially valuable in DERMS (Distributed Energy Resource Management System) setups.
Mobile Charging Deployment
Mobile EV charging services rely on APIs to manage their portable units and coordinate energy delivery. These platforms monitor charger availability, battery state, and service region coverage through real-time telemetry. When an on-demand charging request is received, the system uses charger data to dispatch the right unit, ensuring the customer receives a timely, efficient charge—no fixed infrastructure required.
Multi-Network Roaming (OCPI Integration)
With OCPI-compliant APIs, apps can integrate charging stations across multiple networks under a single interface. This allows EV drivers to access thousands of roaming partner chargers without separate accounts or cards. Through OCPI, apps retrieve standardized information on availability, pricing, and session initiation, enabling seamless cross-network operation. Powerly supports OCPP and OCPI for CPOs looking to join major roaming hubs and expand their reach.
White-Label Charger Management Platforms
Charger manufacturers and operators use white-label platforms powered by APIs to offer branded charging experiences without building software from scratch. These platforms integrate core functions—station onboarding, remote control, diagnostics, payments, and reporting—through a unified API. Powerly’s App Builder and Open API make it easy to deploy custom-branded charger apps quickly, reducing time-to-market while maintaining full operational control.
Build vs. Buy: What’s the Right Approach?
Building Your Own EV Charging API Integration
Building your own EV charging API integrations can offer flexibility, but comes with challenges:
- Significant developer resources (often 4–5 engineers)
- Ongoing maintenance across vehicle brands
- Complex handling of OEM-specific edge cases
- Delayed go-to-market timelines of 6–12 months
Using a Unified EV Charging API Platform
Working with a platform like Powerly provides:
- A single integration compatible with many EV brands
- Pre-configured OAuth 2.0 consent flows
- Standardized endpoints and error handling
- Faster time-to-market and reduced engineering overhead
Powerly’s App Builder complements this by helping you launch white-label EV charging apps quickly—without custom development.
Innovating the Future of Transportation
As the EV market evolves, APIs are becoming essential infrastructure for building connected mobility experiences. With charging data, remote control, and analytics at your fingertips, EV charging APIs allow you to develop smarter services that meet both consumer expectations and energy infrastructure needs.
Whether you’re building a fleet dashboard, a mobile charging service, or a user-facing app, platforms like Powerly enable fast, scalable integrations.
Explore the Powerly Open API to start building today, or try the App Builder to launch your own branded charging app.
Key Benefits of EV Charging API
- End-to-end white-label support
- OCPI and OCPP compatibility
- Custom billing, load management, and driver analytics
- Integrations via API or our no-code dashboard
Who Should Use It?
- Fleet operators and last-mile delivery providers
- Commercial EV charging point owners
- Hospitality groups and parking managers
- Software developers building EV tools
Tools & Resources
Start with the App Builder, view our API Docs, or review the Setup Guide.
FAQs
Can I monitor all my chargers remotely?
Yes, via app or dashboard in real time.
Is the platform modular?
Yes. Enable only the features you need per site or charger type.
What if I want to migrate from a different platform?
We support data import and charger re-pairing with minimal disruption.
⚡ Fun Fact
Statista forecasts over 30 million connected chargers worldwide by 2030. Source
💡 Pro Tip
Leverage Powerly’s developer portal to automate installation workflows and reduce manual tasks.