Hassle-free and fast migration of 2,800 charging stations for Equans

Equans Netherlands is involved in the financing, installation, maintenance, and management of electric vehicle charging stations. In 2021 Last Mile Solutions successfully migrated almost 1,000 charging stations, which were being operated by Equans, to its own platform. As a result of this fruitful partnership, Equans requested Last Mile Solutions to migrate another 2,800 charging stations to Last Mile Solutions’ SaaS platform in the spring of 2022.

However, migrating charging stations to a different management platform is a complex, expensive, and labor-intensive process, especially when it comes to large networks with diverse types of charging stations. This means that every charging station must be thoroughly checked for both functionality and condition. If necessary, charging stations require an upgrade to make sure that they perform optimally.

Smart tooling for efficient work

Equans aimed to complete the migration of its charging stations by the end of the year. During the contract negotiations, it was revealed that Last Mile Solutions could offer migration services at a competitive price, primarily due to their smart tooling and efficient working approach.

Typically, technicians are required to visit each charging station, insert new SIM cards, and manually adjust software settings to direct the station to the new management platform. This is a time-consuming task. To expedite the process, Last Mile Solutions developed a smart tool that automatically recognizes the model of the charging station. The LMS Transfer Tool then selects the available platform settings and sends them to the charging station.

Thanks to this unique tool, one Last Mile Solutions technician can migrate up to twentyfive charging stations per day, compared to just five that a typical technician can manage in a day.

Lightning-fast migration and full-service provision

After intensive project planning, the migration of Equans’ 2,800 charging stations was completed within three weeks, a huge achievement compared to the average industry practice. Last Mile Solutions started the migration in rural areas where the physical distances between stations were large. They then worked inwards, and within two weeks, the remaining charging stations were transferred to the Last Mile Solutions platform in urban areas.

In addition to the migration, Last Mile Solutions was able to support Equans in another area. As an operator, Equans is required to perform an annual maintenance check on all charging stations. During the migration work, Last Mile Solutions performed this annual check for Equans, ensuring that charging stations were located at the registered location, were not damaged, and all components were functioning properly.

Uninterrupted charging services

One of the key objectives of the migration was to ensure that Equans’ customers were not affected by the migration while charging their electric vehicles. During the migration, the charging station goes offline for a while and then starts up in the new mode. Last Mile Solutions ensured that any charging sessions were resumed immediately after the restart. To ensure customers weren’t surprised, technicians left a message on charging cars explaining the work performed and provided a phone number to report any charging problems.

Experience and quality for a hassle-free migration

In the Netherlands, there are over 100,000 public charging stations, with the first one installed more than a decade ago. Hundreds of new stations are added every day, each with ever-changing specifications. The successful migration of Equans’ 2,800 charging stations to Last Mile Solutions’ platform showcased the latter’s capacity to manage, support, and migrate all these charging stations.

Last Mile Solutions brings years of experience in working for Equans and other leading charging station operators, guaranteeing a hassle-free migration. Quality, efficiency, and full-service provision are key to our approach. As the provider of the most complete, independent SaaS platform for charge point operators and mobility service providers in Europe, Last Mile Solutions has built a reputation for excellence in the industry. It’s roaming network of 136,000 directly connected charge points, and more than 450,000 charge points in 22 countries, makes Last Mile Solutions the most comprehensive network on the market.

What makes charging station migration by Last Mile Solutions successful?

• Efficient through smart tooling
• Fast migration through a flexible migration team
• Full-service solution
• Uninterrupted service for EV drivers
• A future-proof, flexible platform