ChargePoint, an online network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and DBT USA, a manufacturer of EV charging solutions, have partnered to significantly expand the networked EV charging platform in North America.

The collaboration enables DBT USA’s new range of Level II EV charging stations in North America to connect to ChargePoint, which directs drivers to charging stations and offers cloud-based solutions.

By joining forces with ChargePoint, DBT USA will be able to provide charging station owners and EV drivers with new features, such as the ability to help with trip planning, managing the cost of charging, and find and operate public stations.

DBT CEO Hervé Borgoltz said that ChargePoint is an ideal solution to bridge the connection between grid, vehicle and drivers through the company’s new charging infrastructure portfolio.

"By using DBT’s unique scalable hardware, this collaboration with ChargePoint will also allow electric charging operators to tailor their charging solutions to get the best return on investment possible, especially in the fleet and public charging areas," Borgoltz added.

ChargePoint president and CEO Pat Romano said that ChargePoint’s open platform blends seamlessly with DBT’s station hardware, enabling their customers to be part of the ChargePoint network.

DBT’s GNS product portfolio, which includes the GNS Premium and the GNS Bundle, can now provide network services to charging station owners and EV drivers, via ChargePoint.

GNS Premium provides station owners with the opportunity to manage payment and monitor the station operating status through ChargePoint’s cloud services, while the GNS Bundle combines a GNS management unit with one or more GNS satellite station, enabling parking operators and fleet managers to build their charging station networks.

"The collaboration enables DBT USA’s new range of Level II EV charging stations in North America to connect to ChargePoint."

The two companies plan to showcase their combined solution at the Consumer Electronics Show in the US, and DBT USA’s range of ChargePoint-enabled charging stations will be released in Q1 2013.

ChargePoint, an online network of independently owned EV charging stations operating in over 14 countries, offers a variety of services for EV charging station owners.

For EV drivers, the company provides features including the ability to find, reserve and navigate to unoccupied charging stations with online mobile applications and tools.

DBT USA is a Chicago-based subsidiary of European engineering company DBT-CEV, and has 10,000 charging points installed in 30 countries across the world.