How touch screens enable intelligent upgrades for charging piles

2025-08-22 17:33:37

As a core medium for human-computer interaction, touchscreens are driving the transformation of charging stations from simple energy supply devices to comprehensive intelligent service terminals by optimizing user experience, improving operational efficiency, and expanding commercial value. The following analysis focuses on technical architecture, application scenarios, and typical cases:

Core Technical Support for Touchscreen-Enabling Charging Stations

Industrial-Grade Touch Hardware: Adaptable to Extreme Outdoor Environments

Charging stations must operate stably in harsh conditions such as a wide temperature range of -30°C to 60°C, heavy rain, dust, and strong electromagnetic interference. Their touchscreens must meet the following technical standards:

Touch Technology: Capacitive touch (supporting 10-point touch) or infrared touch (with strong anti-interference properties) is preferred to avoid the wear and response delay issues of resistive touch. For example, the capacitive touchscreen of the Tesla V3 Supercharger supports glove operation and has a false touch rate of less than 0.1%.

Protection Level: The screen is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass or AG frosted glass, with an IP65 or higher dust and water resistance structure, ensuring accurate touch even in heavy rain and sandstorms. Electromagnetic Compatibility: Through shielding layer design and optimized filtering circuits, the system meets the requirements of the national standard GB/T 18487.1-2023, preventing interference from high-frequency currents during charging on touch signals.

Intelligent Interactive Software: From Functional Operation to Scenario-Based Services

Traditional charging stations only provide basic charging control. However, intelligent touch screens utilize AI algorithms, big data analysis, and Internet of Things (IoT) integration to achieve three major upgrades:

Personalized Recommendations: Dynamically generates the optimal charging plan based on the user's charging history, vehicle battery status (SOC), and electricity price fluctuations (peak and off-peak pricing). For example, the screen may display: "Current electricity price is 0.3 yuan/kWh. It is recommended to stop charging after reaching 80%, with an estimated saving of 5 yuan."

Multimodal Interaction: Supports voice commands (such as "Find nearby restaurants"), gestures (swiping to switch pages), and QR code scanning (payment/points redemption), lowering the user experience.

Remote Operation and Maintenance Interface: Connects to a cloud platform via 4G/5G or Wi-Fi, uploading real-time device status (such as charging module temperature, current and voltage) and receiving remote commands (firmware upgrades, fault resets). For example, Teladian's operations and maintenance personnel can remotely restart a faulty charging station via a mobile app, reducing repair time from two hours to 15 minutes.

Three Core Application Scenarios for Touchscreens in Charging Stations

Scenario 1: User Experience Upgrade: From Passive Charging to Active Service

Charging Process Visualization: The screen displays real-time charging power, remaining time, charged capacity, and detailed cost information, and dynamically updates battery health (e.g., "Battery temperature is normal, charging efficiency is 98%)," alleviating user anxiety.

Value-Added Service Integration: While waiting to charge, the screen pushes promotional offers from nearby businesses (coffee shop discounts, parking vouchers), vehicle maintenance reminders (tire pressure checks), and charging knowledge (e.g., the difference between fast and slow charging), enhancing user retention.

Accessibility: For elderly users or those with disabilities, features such as large font mode, voice announcements, and one-click customer service are provided. For example, the "senior-friendly version" of Star Charging triples the screen font size and supports voice interaction in local dialects.

Scenario 2: Improving Operation and Maintenance Efficiency: From Manual Inspections to Predictive Maintenance

Fault Self-Diagnosis: Built-in sensors on the screen monitor charging module temperature, contactor status, and communication link quality. When an anomaly occurs, a fault code (such as "E001: Charging Module Overheating") is automatically displayed and pushed to the operations and maintenance platform.

Remote Parameter Configuration: Operation and maintenance personnel can modify charging pile parameters (maximum power, payment method, advertising content) via the touchscreen without on-site operation. For example, the State Grid platform supports batch parameter distribution, improving single-time configuration efficiency by 90%.

Energy Consumption Management Optimization: The screen displays real-time energy consumption data (daily power consumption, peak-offset ratio), helping operators adjust charging strategies (such as optimizing fast charging station opening hours) and reduce operating costs.

Scenario 3: Business Model Innovation: From Equipment Leasing to Data Monetization

Advertising Platform: The screen rotates brand advertisements (for automakers, insurance companies) or local lifestyle services (restaurants, gas stations), allowing operators to increase revenue through advertising revenue sharing. For example, Xiaopeng charging pile ads have a click-through rate of 3.2%, generating monthly revenue exceeding 10,000 yuan. Data Service Output: Collects user charging behavior data (time, location, and power demand) to provide optimized charging station layout recommendations for urban planning or predict regional power load for the power grid, thereby monetizing data value.

V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) Interactive Portal: In bidirectional charging scenarios, the screen guides users to participate in grid peak shaving (e.g., "Sell vehicle power at 0.5 yuan/kWh, estimated profit 20 yuan"), promoting the development of the energy internet.

Case Study: How Touchscreens Are Reshaping the Charging Station Industry

Tesla Superchargers: Building a Closed Ecosystem with Touchscreens

The Tesla V3 Supercharger is equipped with a 15-inch touchscreen that integrates three key functions:

Vehicle Status Monitoring: Displays battery temperature, remaining range, estimated time to full charge, and recommends nearby Supercharging stations;

Entertainment: Users can watch YouTube/Netflix videos or play in-car games while charging;

Points Redemption: Users accumulate points through charging and can redeem them for Supercharging credits or coupons for vehicle accessories. Results: Tesla Supercharging Station user satisfaction reached 92% (industry average 75%), and the average user stay time was extended to 20 minutes (traditional charging stations only 5 minutes), providing space for advertising monetization.