Optimizing EV Charger Operations with Advantech Remote Management

Enhancing Reliability and Compliance for EV Infrastructure

Background

EV charger uptime directly impacts business operations, user experience, funding eligibility, and brand reputation. In the United States, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Transportation (DOT), under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, require public EV chargers to maintain at least 97% uptime and share real-time data on availability and accessibility to qualify for incentive funding.

For EV charger manufacturers, meeting these standards requires not only durable hardware but also intelligent management tools that can proactively detect issues, minimize downtime, and strengthen cybersecurity. Achieving continuous uptime and remote operability across wide deployment networks has become a defining factor for success in the competitive EV charging industry.

Customer’s Pain Points

The customer, a North America-based EV charging system manufacturer, faced multiple challenges while scaling their charging infrastructure: 

• Uptime Reliability: Maintaining continuous operation across hundreds of distributed chargers to meet NEVI’s 97% uptime threshold. 
• High Maintenance Costs: Manual on-site servicing caused delays, increased operational expenses, and reduced service availability. 
• Cybersecurity Compliance: Growing concerns about data protection, endpoint safety, and compliance with industrial cybersecurity standards such as IEC 62443. 
• Complex Remote Management: Limited visibility into remote devices made it difficult to monitor system performance, update software, or troubleshoot efficiently. 
• Application Flexibility: Integrating new AI-based or diagnostic applications required a more agile platform for deployment and performance optimization.

These pain points highlighted the need for a reliable, secure, and remotely manageable edge solution to ensure charger availability, reduce field maintenance, and strengthen operational control.

Intelligent Remote Management for EV Charging Networks

Advantech DeviceOn delivers centralized, secure, and intelligent remote management for distributed EV charging systems. The platform provides: 

• Zero-touch provisioning and onboarding for new charger installations,  
• Real-time telemetry for system health and performance monitoring,  
• Secure over-the-air (OTA) updates for firmware, OS, and application patches,  
• Container-based deployment for AI and smart maintenance applications 
• Out-of-band (OOB) recovery through Advantech EdgeBMC to ensure uptime even during system failures

Hardware Foundation: AFE-E350 EVSE Control Board

The Advantech AFE-E350 single board computer is designed specifically for EV charger builders who require performance, reliability, and robust connectivity in a compact form factor.

EdgeBMC ensures system reliability through independent networking and hardware-level recovery, allowing remote reboot and troubleshooting even if the operating system becomes unresponsive. 

Advantech Solution & Integration

Advantech’s software ecosystem enhances reliability, security, and manageability for EV infrastructure deployments: 

• Windows IoT Enterprise – Robust, real-time capable operating system providing long-term stability, security updates, and enterprise-level device control support.  
• Edge Security Suite – Combines Acronis Backup & Restore and Trellix Endpoint Security, meeting IEC 62443 cybersecurity compliance standards.
• DeviceOn Management Platform – Centralized device visibility, On Screen Display (OSD) control, and OTA updates for chargers and controllers. 
• DeviceOn Container Management – Supports modular application deployment for continuous operational optimization.

Why Remote Management Matters

EV charging networks are geographically distributed and often located in public or outdoor environments. With DeviceOn: 

• Downtime is reduced through proactive monitoring and EdgeBMC OOB recovery. 
• Technician costs and risk are minimized by enabling centralized, remote troubleshooting. 
• Regulatory compliance with DOE/DOT 97% uptime requirements is easily demonstrated. 
• System scalability is achieved through unified management of thousands of edge devices.

Outcomes

By integrating DeviceOn, EdgeBMC, and the AFE-E350 control board, the EV charger manufacturer achieved: 

• Guaranteed Reliability – Uptime improved to meet the 97% NEVI compliance benchmark. 
• Enhanced Security – End-to-end protection from firmware to edge endpoints. 
• Operational Efficiency – Fewer site visits and faster recovery. 
• Agile Deployment – Simplified containerized application rollout and updates.

Summary

Advantech’s integrated hardware and software solution—combining the AFE-E350 EVSE control board, EdgeBMC out-of-band control, and DeviceOn remote management—empowers EV charging manufacturers to achieve continuous uptime, compliance, and operational excellence. The result is a resilient, intelligent, and secure EV charging network aligned with U.S. federal infrastructure standards.