As electric vehicle charging networks expand, attention is increasingly shifting from deployment to long-term operations. Once chargers are installed, operators must ensure reliability, manage incidents, and coordinate maintenance across growing and often heterogeneous networks.
Founded in 2023, Relion operates within this operational layer of the EV charging ecosystem. The company develops a platform dedicated specifically to the operation and maintenance of charging infrastructure, designed to support operators once chargers are in service.
Early in the interview, Arthur de Vaublanc, Head of Sales at Relion, frames the issue clearly:
“One of the biggest challenges of the industry is the reliability of the EV charging infrastructure.”
Reliability through structured operations
For many operators, reliability is less a question of hardware than of operational organization. Managing alerts from multiple charger manufacturers, interpreting heterogeneous data, and turning issues into actionable interventions remain key challenges.
Relion’s platform addresses this by centralizing operational data and standardizing issue management across different hardware models. The solution is designed to cover the full operational workflow, from detecting an issue to resolving it in the field.
As Arthur describes: “We are hardware-agnostic and provide an end-to-end solution that covers everything from issue detection to resolution, including work orders and path management.”
This approach aims to give operators clearer visibility over their assets and more structured tools to manage maintenance activities at scale.
A complementary role alongside CSMS platforms
Relion does not position itself as a replacement for existing Charging Station Management Systems (CSMS). These platforms remain essential for front-end functions such as user access, payments, billing, and network management: “We see ourselves as a complementary solution to CSMS, not a replacement.”
However, as charging networks mature, backend operational needs grow more complex. Relion focuses on this backend layer, addressing operations and maintenance processes that are often only partially covered by CSMS solutions.
This positioning allows operators to retain their existing systems while strengthening their operational capabilities.
Scaling operations for public networks
Operational challenges become more pronounced as networks grow. Managing hundreds of chargers requires proactive monitoring and faster reaction times to avoid prolonged downtime.
Arthur refers to the example of Revel, a charge point operator in the New York area operating more than 200 chargers. While the operator already had a CSMS in place, scaling operations efficiently became increasingly difficult as the network expanded. Relion was introduced to support proactive issue detection and maintenance coordination, enabling faster responses when chargers became unavailable — a situation directly linked to revenue loss for public networks.
Supporting fleets and service providers
Beyond public charging networks, Relion also works with fleet operators and service providers. For fleet operators, charger availability directly affects daily operations. Charging issues can prevent vehicles from being ready when needed, with immediate operational consequences for activities such as deliveries or public transport.
Service providers face a different challenge: maintaining chargers after installation while lacking real-time visibility into asset performance. Relion’s platform enables these companies to monitor chargers remotely, identify issues earlier, and move away from reactive maintenance. Arthur highlights the example of a Quebec-based service provider using the platform to gain visibility and intervene before customers report failures.
Continuing to build operational foundations
This closing point highlights a central operational reality of the EV charging sector. Reliability is not an abstract objective, but a concrete condition for usage, revenue, and trust. By focusing on operations and maintenance, Relion addresses a practical challenge shared by operators, fleets, and service providers as charging infrastructure continues to scale.
As a young company, Relion continues to develop its platform based on customer feedback and real-world operational use cases, with the aim of ensuring that its tools remain aligned with the day-to-day constraints faced by charging network operators.
