Our Foundry team is putting their rapid prototyping skills to use once again—this time to test wireless connectivity in electric vehicle charging (EVC) stations. I’m proud to share that we’re working with Schneider Electric under a proof of concept to make electric vehicle charging stations smarter and better connected.

Engineers at the AT&T Foundry for Internet of Things (IoT) innovation in Plano, Texas, used the AT&T network and IoT software to enhance Schneider Electric’s EVlink Basic (non-connected) charging station. The proof of concept better serves EV drivers and station operators.

EV drivers receive notifications on their mobile phone when charging is complete or spots are open. The app alerts you when your car is near an EVC station while parking. Facility managers can also turn the EVC stations on and off remotely over the AT&T network, get notified if a user parks for too long and connect to any open back-end system.

Our IoT software tools AT&T Flow Designer and AT&T M2X gather data from the EVC controllers and send it to the driver.

 Get access to useful information like:

  • Near real-time charging status
  • Temperature
  • Cable position (in-holster vs. out for anti-theft)

We’re using innovative technology and IoT cloud solutions to bring intelligence to machines. At the same time, we’re mindfully delivering our services in a way that improves the growing clean energy market. Our mission is to keep pushing the envelope and driving innovation for our customers.

We worked with Schneider Electric to quickly develop a proof of concept using rapid prototyping skills/expertise. This next step of testing in the EV space is a natural evolution for us. The IoT Foundry team previously developed an EV dashboard display proof of concept. It simulated a virtual EV driving experience in your gas-fueled car to help you overcome range anxiety when you’re considering buying an EV.

In fact, we built a working charging station in the Plano AT&T Foundry parking lot. Our director, Craig Lee, uses it daily to charge his own electric car. Check out the photos below to see it in action.  

Igal Elbaz
Igal Elbaz Vice President - Ecosystem and Innovation, AT&T Services, Inc.