How JET Charge works 24/7 to keep vehicles on the road 

As part of our 360-degree approach to infrastructure partnerships, JET Charge monitors over 15 mission critical, all-electric bus depot sites. 

Recently, two sites – CDC Oakleigh in Melbourne and The Elizabeth Quay bus depot in Perth – were affected by a technical bug, arising from a hardware suppliers’ firmware update. 

Through our proactive 24/7 monitoring and JET Charge CORE logs, we were able to identify the bug and diagnose the problem, which was preventing buses from recharging. In order to prevent disruption to public bus services and potentially thousands of passengers, the bug had to be addressed immediately. 

In the absence of a firmware update, JET Charge used our technical oversight of the assets and dedicated team of technicians and engineers to implement two stop-gap solutions. This meant buses were able to stay on the road and our clients could proceed with confidence in their EV services.

The Challenges:

Diagnosing the problem: Through our technical control over both sites, session insights via CORE and Illuminate, and our dedicated team of technicians and software engineers, JET Charge was able to diagnose the problem swiftly and with minimal disruption to bus service.

Client timeframe: It wasn’t enough for JET Charge to simply diagnose the problem and pass it back to the hardware supplier to update (a process estimated to take 2-3 weeks) – public buses need to be on the road servicing the community’s needs. 

Implementing a temporary fix: JET Charge utilised its internal software development skills to implement two immediate stop-gap solutions.

JET Charge capabilities as an implementation partner:

JET Charge is able to monitor charging sessions through our asset management platform, Illuminate. JET Charge CORE load management system monitors and controls your entire EV charging network’s electrical supply 24/7, balances loads while charging (to avoid powertrips), and logs these sessions into Illuminate.

Due to JET Charge’s proactive 24/7 monitoring function, our team identified that charging sessions were being restricted to 3kW. JET Charge CORE logs allowed us to diagnose the issue: a bug in a firmware update prevented “stop transaction” messages – this meant that when a charging session ended and another began, the system assumed there was a fault, and restricted power.

How did JET Charge overcome the challenges?

While awaiting the supplier’s update, JET Charge implemented two temporary solutions: we increased minimum session power from 3kW to 20kW (so buses could fully charge despite the bug); and manually overrode any “hung” sessions left in the system. These measures ensured buses could continue charging and remain in service.

The technical stuff: 

The primary systems used were JET Charge CORE (for session insights and power adjustments); and Illuminate (for detailed logging and monitoring). These tools allowed for quick diagnosis and remote intervention, ensuring uninterrupted charging operations.

Outcome:

JET Charge is investing in our technology and our teams to be able to service our industry at scale. By ensuring technology control over charging assets via CORE and Illuminate, we provide solutions and increase the confidence for critical infrastructure for EV charging. These solutions prevented significant service disruptions, minimising impact on public transport, avoided delays for commuters, and reinforced confidence in EV charging infrastructure.

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