The term EMSP (Electro Mobility Service Provider), often confused with EMP (Electro Mobility Provider) or CSO (Charging Service Operator), denotes the key entity responsible for supplying digital and commercial services to Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers.
Unlike the CPO, who manages the physical infrastructure (the charging points), the EMSP acts as a service aggregator and access facilitator. Their central role is to ensure a simple and transparent end-user experience, particularly crucial for roaming charging. The EMSP provides a unified platform (typically a mobile app or an RFID card) that allows users to locate available charging points across different networks, initiate the charging session, and make payment via a centralised system. Billing management is a core part of this, where the EMSP aggregates charging costs from various charging points and presents a single invoice to the user. To achieve this interoperability, the EMSP relies on standardised protocols like OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface) to communicate with CPOs. While EMSP historically focuses on specific charging services (location, payment, pricing), EMP is sometimes used to describe a broader scope, including comprehensive mobility offerings that go beyond simple charge point aggregation (e.g., subscription packages combining the purchase of an EV, home charger installation, or specific solutions for professional fleets).
In summary, these actors are fundamental to the development of electric mobility as they simplify the network complexity for the driver, thereby promoting large-scale EV adoption.