Guidance and Solutions for JuiceBox Customers Following Enel X Way Shutdown
This article, written by SWTCH’s Head of Strategy, Sofia Berrada, offers advice and potential pathways forward for JuiceBox owners affected by the Enel X Way shutdown.
It was a chaotic week last week as a result of the closure of Enel X Way and JuiceBox in North America. I realize the challenges this abrupt shutdown will cause JuiceBox customers, and I would like to share some thoughts for the path forward.
First, don’t let the urgency of this situation override a careful evaluation process. It’s important to make sure that the next solution delivers reliable and futureproof EV charging.
Enel X Way/JuiceBox Customers – Discover your options here
We’ve got a new article available covering what’s going on, our assessment of the options available to you, and special offers we’re making to help JuiceBox customers move forward.
Some items to consider when assessing new solutions:
- Is there a detailed testing document available?
- Does the provider have a dedicated facility where they test charging hardware?
- What customization logic have they developed to handle JuiceBox’s unique behavior?
At SWTCH, we’ve thoroughly tested more than 30 brands of chargers and conducted in depth troubleshooting with manufacturer engineers, including from JuiceBox. Juicebox chargers’ limited OCPP compliance are not proof the charger and any platform will seamlessly operate together. Continuous testing, verification, and hard work are required to make operation seamless. SWTCH has worked extensively with the JuiceBox team, and from that experience, we know that the JuiceBox hardware can operate on the SWTCH platform.
Where things get complicated is in the actual migration process, which will require on-site activity to migrate individual charging stations and will result in a loss of more advanced functionality, including features like load balancing. This option may not be possible for chargers with older firmware.
Depending on your needs, the relative simplicity of migrating over and having a reduction in functionality might be fine. If not, we can also offer cost-effective solutions that don’t require any capital outlay, such as third-party financing of new hardware, which will grant you the more advanced features that you need.
If interested or if you have questions, reach out via our dedicated JuiceBox contact page, and we’ll be happy to offer guidance on how best to proceed.
Finally, I want to add that this is a good example of why being fully OCPP compliant and open ecosystem is so important. Being able to fully migrate hardware to new software if a provider shuts down is incredibly valuable. It would have helped avoid a lot of difficulty in this situation and would have allowed previously “smart” chargers to remain smart going forward.
Are you affected by the Enel X shutdown of JuiceBox EV Chargers?
If you have been affected by the recent Enel X Way shutdown announcement and discontinued support for JuiceBox chargers, get in touch to discuss how SWTCH can help.
Written by Sofia Berrada
Head of Strategy at SWTCH Energy
