A business manages and bills multiple chargepoints using OCPP charge point management software. EVSE uses Exploren, an open Open Charge Point Protocol platform compatible with more than 40 charger models. It handles session monitoring, RFID access control, tariff setting, billing by kWh or by minute, and load management across multiple sites from one portal or mobile app.
An EV charger without software is a socket. It delivers power, and that is the limit of what it does.
Charge point management software adds the operating layer a business needs once there is more than one charger, or more than one user:
Without it, a business with staff or public chargers has no way to recover electricity costs, no record of who used what, and no protection against every charger drawing full power at once.
Open Charge Point Protocol is the communication standard between a charger and the software that manages it. It is the difference between owning your charging network and renting access to somebody else’s.
Exploren is written with OCPP, which means it is open access rather than restricted in the way many proprietary software offerings are. The practical consequences:
Data ownership matters as much as protocol. Exploren data is subject to New Zealand law, remains the exclusive property of the site owner and is not shared.
| Billing method | What it does | Best suited to |
| kWh billing | Charges the driver per kilowatt hour of energy delivered | Public and retail sites, and any site where fairness by energy use matters |
| Per minute billing | Charges by duration of the session in NZD per minute | Sites where turnover of the parking bay is the priority |
| Minimum payment | Bills a set minimum regardless of charging time | Preventing very short sessions that are not worth processing |
| Primary parking rate | The standard rate charged to customers, set in NZD per kWh or per minute | The default commercial rate for a site |
| Primary rate period | A promotional or time-limited rate that runs alongside the primary rate | Encouraging off-peak use, or charging more for longer sessions |
| Private charging | Restricts the charger to authorised users only | Staff car parks, fleet depots, apartment common areas |
Access is controlled through RFID authentication or through the Exploren app. RFID cards can be linked to the app, which is the practical option for underground car parks where mobile reception is poor.
Scale is where the software earns its cost. New sites and new OCPP chargers can be added to the same platform over time, so a business that starts with two chargers at head office can extend to depots and branch sites without changing systems.
For fleets, the platform can track charging data across multiple locations and smart chargers, including chargers at a driver’s home. That combination replaces what fuel cards did for petrol fleets: a single record of energy used per vehicle, per driver and per site, accessible from a computer or a phone.
Exploren also includes automated PlugShare integration, so public sites appear on the map drivers already use.
Load management is used when the power needed by the chargers exceeds the power available from the building supply. Exploren includes three forms, and none of them carries an extra cost:
Active load management. Dynamically adjusts charger power according to the power remaining in the building. This is the most advanced form, and it responds in real time as other building loads rise and fall.
Static load management. Sets a fixed ceiling on how much power the chargers can draw.
Scheduled load management. Allows charging sessions to be scheduled, which lets a site make use of off-peak tariffs.
The commercial value is capacity. Load management lets a business install more chargers on the existing supply rather than paying for an electrical infrastructure upgrade, while protecting the switchboard from being tripped.
Software is one of three cost lines, alongside hardware and installation. When budgeting, account for:
Every non-residential site is inspected before a quote is issued, and a report is produced alongside it. That inspection is what converts these variables into a fixed number.
Yes, provided the chargers are OCPP compliant. Exploren is compatible with more than 40 different OCPP charger models.
Yes. Smart OCPP-enabled chargers can be commissioned before dispatch from EVSE, or added retroactively if the chargers are already installed.
Yes. Site operators set their own electricity rates, choose between kWh and per minute billing, apply a minimum payment and run promotional rates alongside the standard rate.
No. Active, static and scheduled load management are included, with no additional cost.
Yes. Charging data can be tracked across multiple locations and smart chargers, including home chargers, and reviewed through the online portal or the app.
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