Open MCS 3.2, utility-style charging, and backend control reshape network economics

Open MCS 3.2 and Grid Constraints Redefine the Megawatt Charging Race

Forum Mobility, Tesla’s use of open MCS 3.2, and Volvo’s long-range trucks with MCS support show the next step after last week’s hub-model rollout: megawatt charging is becoming interoperable by default, and the bottleneck is shifting to grid execution. That compresses the strategic value of closed charging stacks and puts interconnection, feeder upgrades, and transformer work at the center of rollout speed rather than charger installation itself.

Operators are already adapting by designing around the grid instead of waiting on it. Fortescue is pairing sites with solar and storage, New York City is emphasizing managed charging and permitting, and Kempower is pushing dynamic load management to expand capacity under constrained connections. The competitive edge in corridor networks is moving further toward uptime, throughput, and utility coordination. For vendors and investors, the value pool is now extending from the repeatable MCS-enabled site templates and power-management software seen in the hub buildout to integrated network platforms that can scale despite grid limits.

California and Australia Push Charging Into Utility Operations

California’s 2024 EV-charging laws are now pushing the bottleneck into inspection, commissioning, and the site work needed to energize chargers. SB 969 speeds public-charger inspections by letting manufacturer-tested units start operating faster while keeping electricity-delivery safeguards; SB 1283 extends streamlined permitting to trenching, electrical upgrades, solar canopies, and battery storage; and AB 1820 lowers permitting barriers and fees for apartment and mixed-use charging. These rules build on AB 1236 and AB 970, which already require expedited, largely ministerial local approvals.

Australia’s AEMC draft rules point in the same direction. They would let distribution network service providers install, own, and maintain kerbside chargers on existing assets in underserved blackspot areas, require each DNSP to publish a Distribution EVCI Deployment Strategy, and preserve open access so multiple retailers can use the same sites. Cost recovery would shift partly into regulated network charges, with Commonwealth support covering about 30% and the consumer share estimated at roughly AU$1 per year on a typical residential bill over five years.

For operators, the edge is now in commissioning discipline, utility coordination, and access to regulated deployment channels. For vendors and investors, the progression favors products and partnerships that shorten time-to-energization and secure network-led curbside and multifamily pipelines.

Backend Wars: Contracts, Roaming, and Migration Become the New Battleground

E.ON and BYD’s smart charging launch is the clearest sign yet that the backend is moving into the retail energy contract: the offer pairs a “smarter electricity contract” with charging controls that shift BYD EV charging into lower-cost or grid-friendlier windows, with reported savings of up to about €20 per month. The product is no longer just charger access or route guidance; it is contract-aware charging tied to dynamic pricing and utility demand-response logic.

ChargeIndia pushed the same shift on the interoperability side, launching a neutral OCPI-based aggregator across 40+ CPOs, 1,200+ cities, and 25,000+ charging stations, with UPI payments and a B2B integration layer for OEMs, fleets, mobility apps, and roaming partners. UKPN and Qivia also advanced platform integration, while automakers and utilities continued bundling home charging into broader offers.

The strategic change is where coordination happens: the backend is becoming the commercial control point for tariffs, settlement, roaming, and installed-base migrations. Monta’s German win to migrate Team Emobility’s 1,800+ chargers and 5,000 users onto its SaaS platform is especially important because it shows enterprise demand coming from replacing fragmented legacy backends, not just managing new rollouts. Interoperability is becoming a prerequisite, and migration capability is turning into recurring software revenue.

Regional Concessions and Capitalized Platforms Are Repricing Charging Networks

TotalEnergies won regional public-charging concessions in South Holland and Zeeland, covering 43 municipalities and about 1,860 existing charging stations, with rights to acquire, modernize, and add thousands more over time. The company said it secured 60% of the tendered infrastructure, making this a clear example of how long-duration regional control is overtaking isolated site-by-site wins as the main route to scale.

OBE Power also raised equity led by North Sky Capital to expand its fully owned and operated network across the U.S. and Canada, focused on destination sites including multifamily, hospitality, healthcare, and commercial properties. The round complements its existing credit facility with Gresham House, signaling a capital stack designed for multi-year deployment rather than opportunistic buildout. M&A stayed active as well, with Powerdot expanding in Iberia, Vattenfall InCharge acquiring Nima Energy, and EVgo buying Stable Auto.

The strategic shift is toward operators that can control territory, finance expansion efficiently, and layer software or operating capability onto dense networks. For vendors and investors, value is moving to platforms with regional rights, durable capital access, and operating leverage that can defend utilization and margins.