Deep Application of Cellular Wi-Fi Routers in the Networking Solutions for New Energy Charging Stations

Under the drive of global energy transformation and the "dual carbon" goals, the ownership of new energy vehicles (NEVs) has continued to experience explosive growth. According to statistics, in 2023, China's NEV sales surpassed 9 million units, leading to a surge in demand for charging stations. However, traditional networking solutions for charging stations face challenges such as insufficient network coverage, high data transmission latency, and exorbitant operation and maintenance costs, severely restricting the large-scale deployment and intelligent upgrading of charging networks. Leveraging their high reliability, multi-network integration, and edge computing capabilities, cellular Wi-Fi routers are emerging as the core infrastructure for networking new energy charging stations. This article will explore the technical advantages, typical networking solutions, and innovative application scenarios of cellular Wi-Fi routers from the perspective of charging station network requirements, and analyze how they facilitate the evolution of charging infrastructure towards "efficiency, intelligence, and low carbon."

1. Network Requirements for New Energy Charging Stations: The Triple Challenge of Reliability, Real-Time Performance, and Scalability

New energy charging stations are not only energy replenishment terminals but also intelligent nodes for data collection, user interaction, and grid coordination. Their network requirements can be summarized as follows:

1.1 High Reliability Requirements in Extreme Environments

Charging stations are often deployed in outdoor settings (e.g., highway service areas, open-air parking lots), where they must withstand a wide temperature range of -30°C to 65°C, high humidity levels of up to 95% RH, and harsh conditions such as sand, dust, and rain. Traditional commercial routers are prone to signal interruptions or hardware failures due to environmental factors, directly impacting the availability of charging services.

1.2 Low Latency and High Bandwidth for Concurrent Multi-Service Operations

• Charging Control: DC fast-charging stations can reach power levels of up to 600 kW, requiring real-time transmission of parameters such as voltage, current, and temperature to backend systems to ensure charging safety. Network latency must be below 50 ms.
• User Interaction: Functions such as QR code payment and APP remote monitoring require stable 4G/5G network connections to ensure transaction success rates.
• Video Surveillance: Some charging stations are equipped with cameras for security purposes, necessitating the upload of high-definition video streams (e.g., 1080P@30fps), with a single-stream bandwidth requirement of approximately 4 Mbps.

1.3 Scalability and Operational Efficiency for Large-Scale Deployments

• Device Management: A single city may have over 100,000 charging stations, requiring centralized management platforms for batch configuration, firmware upgrades, and fault diagnosis.
• Network Redundancy: Support for dual SIM cards and dual-link backup is essential to prevent charging stations from going offline due to network failures from a single operator.
• Energy Consumption Optimization: Charging stations themselves are high-energy-consuming devices, so network equipment must have low-power characteristics to reduce overall operational costs.

2. Technical Advantages of Cellular Wi-Fi Routers: Five Core Capabilities Designed for Charging Station Scenarios

To meet the specific requirements of charging stations, the selection of cellular Wi-Fi routers should focus on evaluating the following technical indicators:

2.1 Industrial-Grade Hardware Design: Adapting to Harsh Outdoor Environments

• Wide Temperature Operation: Support for operating temperatures ranging from -40°C to 85°C (e.g., the Dual SIM Qualcomm cellular Wi-Fi router USR-G806p) ensures stable operation in both severe cold in the north and extreme heat in the south.
• Protection Ratings: Compliance with IP65 (dust and water resistance) and IK08 (impact resistance) standards enables the routers to withstand sand, dust, heavy rain, and physical damage.
• Electromagnetic Interference Resistance: Certification under IEC 61000-4-2/3/4/5 standards ensures no data packet loss during high-current charging at charging stations (e.g., peak currents of 600 A).

2.2 Multi-Network Integration and Link Redundancy: Ensuring 7×24 Online Availability

• Dual SIM Cards + Dual 5G Modules: Support for simultaneous connection to two operator networks enables automatic switching to a backup link with a switching time of less than 50 ms when the primary link signal is weak or fails.
• Wired/Wireless Hybrid Networking: Provision of Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and LoRaWAN interfaces allows flexible connection to charging station controllers, cameras, and sensors, reducing wiring costs.
• VPN Tunnel Encryption: Establishment of secure tunnels through IPsec/SSL VPN ensures the confidentiality of charging data (e.g., user payment information) during transmission over public networks.

2.3 Edge Computing Capabilities: Enabling Localized Data Processing and Rapid Response

• Protocol Conversion: Built-in protocol stacks for commonly used charging station protocols such as Modbus TCP/RTU, CAN bus, and OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) ensure compatibility with equipment from mainstream manufacturers (e.g., TELD and StarCharge).
• Data Preprocessing: Local completion of data cleaning (e.g., removal of outliers), compression (e.g., using the LZ4 algorithm), and simple analysis (e.g., calculation of charging efficiency) reduces the pressure on cloud transmission.
• Local Decision-Making: Support for Python/Lua script programming enables localized control in emergency situations (e.g., automatic power cutoff during overheating) without relying on cloud instructions.
  Case Study: After deploying cellular Wi-Fi routers at a highway service area charging station, edge computing enabled the local processing of 90% of alarm data, reducing cloud alarms by 80% and response times from 3 seconds to 200 milliseconds.

2.4 Centralized Management and Remote Operation and Maintenance: Reducing On-Site Inspection Frequencies

• Cloud Platform Integration: Support for integration with centralized management platforms through SNMP, MQTT, or vendor-specific protocols enables real-time monitoring of device status, configuration distribution, and log auditing.
• Fault Self-Diagnosis: Built-in watchdog chips and hardware status monitoring functions allow automatic restart of crashed devices or reporting of fault codes (e.g., SIM card arrears, antenna damage).
• Batch Operations: Support for batch firmware upgrades based on region, device type, or IP segment enables simultaneous handling of over 1,000 devices in a single operation, improving operational efficiency by 90%.

2.5 Low Power Consumption and Green Energy Efficiency: Contributing to Carbon Neutrality Goals

• Dynamic Power Management: Automatic adjustment of operating modes based on network load (e.g., entering sleep mode during idle periods) results in typical power consumption of less than 10 W (as measured in the USR-G806p).
• Solar Power Compatibility: Support for 12 V/24 V DC input allows direct connection to solar panels at charging stations, reducing reliance on the mains power supply.
• Energy Efficiency Optimization Algorithms: AI algorithms predict network traffic peaks and adjust link bandwidth in advance to avoid unnecessary energy consumption.

3. Typical Networking Solutions for Cellular Wi-Fi Routers in Charging Stations: Full-Scenario Coverage from Single Stations to Station-Level Networks

Cellular Wi-Fi routers offer flexible networking solutions based on the deployment scale and business requirements of charging stations. The following are three typical scenarios:

Solution 1: Independent Networking for Single Stations—Suitable for Decentralized Charging Stations

• Scenario: AC slow-charging stations (7 kW power) deployed in residential areas and commercial buildings require low-cost, easy-to-deploy network solutions.
• Solution:
  • Each charging station is equipped with an internal or external cellular Wi-Fi router (e.g., USR-G806p) for direct connection to the cloud management platform via 4G/5G networks.
  • The router supports dual SIM card backup to ensure network reliability.
  • Interaction with the platform is achieved through the OCPP protocol for charging start/stop, billing, and status monitoring.
• Advantages: Eliminates the need for wiring, reducing deployment time from several days to a few hours and lowering network costs per station by 60%.

Solution 2: Station-Level Local Area Networking—Suitable for Centralized Charging Stations

• Scenario: Centralized DC fast-charging stations (60 kW to 600 kW power) in highway service areas and urban public charging stations require high-bandwidth, low-latency network support.
• Solution:
  • One or more cellular Wi-Fi routers are deployed within the station, connecting to the operator's core network via a 5G private network or fiber optics.
  • The routers connect to charging station controllers, video surveillance systems, and energy management systems (EMS) via Ethernet/Wi-Fi 6.
  • VLAN segmentation isolates different services (e.g., charging control, video surveillance, user Wi-Fi) to ensure bandwidth for critical services.
• Case Study: After adopting this solution at a UHV DC charging station, the transmission latency of charging control instructions decreased from 200 ms to 30 ms, and the video surveillance stuttering rate dropped by 95%.

Solution 3: Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Networking—Suitable for Smart Microgrid Scenarios

• Scenario: Charging stations participate in grid peak shaving as distributed energy resources (DERs), requiring bidirectional communication with grid dispatch systems.
• Solution:
  • The cellular Wi-Fi router integrates power protocol stacks such as IEC 61850 and DNP3 for direct interaction with the grid dispatch center.
  • Edge computing capabilities enable local analysis of the power demand and battery status of charging station clusters to optimize peak shaving strategies.
  • Support for Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) functions ensures the real-time and deterministic transmission of peak shaving instructions.
• Effect: In a V2G pilot project in an industrial park, the cellular Wi-Fi router enabled coordinated control between charging stations and the grid, increasing annual peak shaving revenue by 30%.

4. Innovative Application Scenarios for Cellular Wi-Fi Routers in Charging Stations: From Intelligent Operation and Maintenance to Energy Trading

As charging stations evolve towards intelligence and marketization, cellular Wi-Fi routers are expanding into the following innovative applications:

4.1 AI-Driven Predictive Operation and Maintenance

Cellular Wi-Fi routers can integrate with cloud-based AI models to achieve:

• Fault Prediction: Analysis of historical operational data from charging stations (e.g., current fluctuations, temperature changes) predicts equipment lifespan and failure probabilities, enabling proactive maintenance scheduling.
• Intelligent Alarms: Automatic optimization of alarm thresholds (e.g., adjusting the overheating alarm for charging modules from 70°C to 65°C) reduces false alarms.
• Root Cause Analysis: When a charging station goes offline, the router can automatically detect network status (e.g., SIM card signal, link bandwidth) to quickly locate the fault.

4.2 Blockchain-Enabled Charging Transactions

Cellular Wi-Fi routers can integrate blockchain modules to achieve:

• Decentralized Billing: Recording charging transaction details (e.g., charging volume, cost, time) on the blockchain ensures data immutability, addressing trust issues between operators and users.
• Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading: In V2G scenarios, direct energy trading between charging stations and electric vehicles is supported, with the router serving as a data collection and witness node for transactions.
• Carbon Footprint Tracking: Recording the proportion of green electricity used during charging provides users with carbon credit rewards, promoting the consumption of new energy sources.

4.3 Digital Twin and Remote Simulation

Cellular Wi-Fi routers can act as "digital touchpoints" for charging stations, integrating deeply with digital twin platforms to:

• Real-Time Mapping: Synchronize the operational status of physical charging stations (e.g., charging power, device temperature) with virtual models, enabling remote monitoring and fault reproduction.
• Simulation Testing: Simulate extreme operating conditions (e.g., high-current surges, network attacks) in virtual environments to verify the stability and security of charging stations, reducing on-site testing costs.

5. Future Trends: Three Major Development Directions for Cellular Wi-Fi Routers

5.1 Integration of 5G-A and AI: Upgrading from "Connection" to "Intelligence"

Future cellular Wi-Fi routers will integrate 5G-A's Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology, enabling environment perception around charging stations (e.g., vehicle arrival detection) by analyzing wireless signal reflections (e.g., millimeter-wave radar), replacing traditional sensors and reducing deployment costs.

5.2 Autonomous Network Optimization: From "Manual Configuration" to "Self-Optimization"

Combined with AI algorithms, cellular Wi-Fi routers will possess dynamic bandwidth allocation, channel selection, and security policy adjustment capabilities. For example, during charging peaks, the router can automatically prioritize charging control services to ensure the优先 (priority) transmission of critical instructions.

5.3 Green and Low-Carbon Design: Contributing to Carbon Neutrality in Charging Networks

Next-generation cellular Wi-Fi routers will adopt low-power chips (e.g., RISC-V architecture) and renewable energy power supply technologies to further reduce energy consumption. For instance, the USR-G806p can reduce power consumption to 5 W in idle mode through dynamic power management, representing only 30% of that of traditional routers.

The "Intelligent Nerve Center" of New Energy Charging Stations

In the large-scale deployment and intelligent upgrading of new energy charging stations, cellular Wi-Fi routers have evolved from mere "network devices" into core components that connect the physical and digital worlds, supporting real-time control and intelligent decision-making. Through the integration of industrial-grade hardware design, multi-network integration, edge computing, and centralized management technologies, cellular Wi-Fi routers are driving charging stations towards an autonomous operating model characterized by "self-awareness, self-diagnosis, and self-optimization." In the future, with the in-depth application of 5G-A, AI, and blockchain technologies, cellular Wi-Fi routers will further empower charging infrastructure to achieve transformation goals of "efficiency, security, and greenness," providing critical infrastructure support for the construction of a global energy internet.
(The Dual SIM Qualcomm cellular Wi-Fi router USR-G806p, with its -40°C to 85°C wide temperature design, dual 5G modules, and edge computing capabilities, has been successfully applied in multiple charging station projects by enterprises such as State Grid and TELD, becoming an ideal choice for building highly reliable and intelligent charging networks.)