Your 35 electric trucks are left with weak batteries after the weekend, and you stare in disbelief at your roaming provider's bill. €0.73 per kilowatt-hour on German highways, €0.89 in Austria, plus a 12% surcharge for "premium service" – with 15,000 kWh per day, that adds up to over €12,000 per day. Scaled up for the year, that amounts to €4.4 million just for electricity, while your depot tariff is €0.18. It's madness that drives thousands of fleet managers to despair daily and proves: The charging station monopoly is the biggest cost driver of e-mobility.

The answer doesn't lie in even cheaper roaming contracts or more complicated charging cards. It lies in OLI Transit – the first platform that completely breaks the roaming monopoly and creates real market mechanisms. This innovation transforms every charging point into a competitive market and gives you back the power to choose the best provider for each charging session. The result: up to 60 percent lower charging costs without a single new contract.

What the charging station monopoly truly costs

The charging station monopoly is the invisible cost eater of e-mobility. Unlike with fuels, where gas stations compete for customers, electric truck drivers are trapped in rigid roaming structures with no choice. This market distortion costs German freight companies millions every day.

The monopoly mechanisms operate deceptively simply: Roaming providers enter into exclusive agreements with charging station operators and charge markups between 25 and 80 percent on the actual electricity price. The end customer only sees the total price and has no alternative. A charging station operator who buys his electricity for €0.30 sells it through roaming partners for €0.65 – without any added value other than card management.

This lack of transparency is systematically exploited. While prices at gas stations are prominently displayed, electric truck drivers find out only when they plug in the cable what they have to pay. Price comparisons are impossible; market mechanisms do not function. The result: artificially inflated prices that severely slow down the electrification of freight transport.

Automatic Provider Selection: When Algorithms Save 40%

Here, OLI Transit shows its revolutionary power. The platform breaks the monopoly through real-time automatic provider selection. At every compatible charging station, the system displays all available tariffs from all providers simultaneously – like a price comparison portal for hotels, just for charging electricity.

A practical example from the logistics industry illustrates the potential savings: A refrigerated transport company with 28 electric trucks paid an average of €0.68 per kWh in the old roaming system. With OLI Transit, the system automatically selects the cheapest available provider and reduced costs to €0.41 per kWh. At 180,000 kWh monthly, this corresponds to a savings of €48,600 – every month.

The automatic selection considers not only the price per kilowatt-hour but also additional costs like blocking fees, connection fees, and time-dependent tariffs. Machine learning algorithms learn from each transaction and continuously optimize the selection criteria. The system becomes smarter and cheaper with each charging session.

Intelligent Price Transparency: Revolution of Charging Cost Control

The true revolution lies in price transparency. OLI Transit makes visible what roaming providers have concealed for years: the actual cost structures of charging electricity. Drivers see in real-time not only the final price but also the breakdown by electricity costs, network fees, taxes, and provider margins.

This transparency creates real competition. Charging station operators must justify their prices, overpriced providers lose market share, and new providers can enter the market with fair prices. The effect is the same as with the deregulation of telecommunications: prices fall dramatically, and service improves.

A northern German container logistics provider documented this effect precisely: Before OLI Transit, the company paid between €0.58 and €0.84 per kWh at the same highway charging station depending on the roaming provider – with no recognizable reason for the price differences. With OLI Transit, the system automatically selects the cheapest provider (usually around €0.35) and saves over €2,800 daily with 85 vehicles.

Roaming-Free Charging: The End of Mandatory Contracts

OLI Transit eliminates the need for roaming contracts completely. Instead of committing long-term to one provider and accepting their surcharges, companies can charge completely flexibly with changing providers – always at the current best price.

Roaming-free charging functions via universal authentication via app or RFID card. The system identifies the vehicle, shows all available providers, and the driver selects their desired tariff with one click. Billing happens automatically through the OLI Transit System – transparently, traceably, and without hidden surcharges.

This flexibility is especially valuable for transport companies with fluctuating transport volumes. A pharmaceutical logistics provider with seasonal peaks uses OLI Transit to pay only for the electricity actually charged – without basic fees, minimum takes, or contract durations. The company saved €180,000 annually just by eliminating unused roaming fees.

Blockchain-Based Real-Time Billing

The billing via OLI Transit works completely transparently through blockchain technology. Each charging session is documented in immutable smart contracts – with precise time recording, energy consumption, selected provider, and all cost components.

This transparency is revolutionary for fleet controlling. While traditional roaming billings often contain incomprehensible aggregate items, OLI Transit itemizes and makes every cent traceable. Controlling staff can track in real-time where and how much is charged and which providers offer the best conditions.

A logistics service provider from Stuttgart uses this transparency for precise cost center accounting. Each truck, each tour, and each customer are billed exactly according to actual charging costs – without estimates or averages. The precise cost allocation improved calculation accuracy by 95 percent and enabled customer-specific pricing models.

Automated Fleet Optimization: Intelligence Beats Routine

Traditional charging planning is a waste of time. Dispatchers spend hours managing charging cards, comparing tariffs, and finding optimal charging stops. OLI Transit fully automates these processes, turning dispatchers into strategic planners rather than operational administrators.

The automated fleet optimization considers dozens of factors simultaneously: current electricity prices, traffic conditions, vehicle charging statuses, driver working hours, and even weather data. AI algorithms calculate the cost-optimal charging strategy for each tour and continuously update recommendations as conditions change.

A Bavarian beverage logistics provider implemented this automation for 67 electric trucks with 180 tours daily. Before OLI Transit, three dispatchers together needed five hours daily for charging planning and billing control. Today, the system takes on these tasks fully automatically. The saved personnel costs amount to €160,000 annually – in addition to direct energy cost savings.

Practical Example: CCS Charging Becomes Competitive

The Combined Charging System (CCS) for electric trucks has long been considered a cost trap. High investments by operators justified above-average prices, and roaming surcharges made charging even more expensive. OLI Transit breaks this price spiral through genuine competition.

An Austrian long-distance hauler with 52 electric trucks faced exactly this problem. At CCS charging locations, the company paid between €0.74 and €1.12 per kWh – depending on the roaming provider and location. With a daily charging requirement of 22,000 kWh, costs ranged between €16,280 and €24,640 – for the same electricity.

OLI Transit revolutionized the cost situation. The system shows all available providers with current prices at every CCS charging station and automatically selects the cheapest option. By consistently using the best tariffs, the average CCS charging costs fell from €0.89 to €0.47 per kWh.

After 12 months of operation, the balance is clear: annual charging costs reduced from €7.1 million to €3.8 million – a savings of €3.3 million. The OLI Transit investment of €95,000 paid off in less than two weeks.

ROI Calculation: When Does Market Freedom Pay Off?

The profitability of OLI Transit can be precisely calculated. The main cost drivers are overpriced roaming tariffs, hidden surcharges, and administrative inefficiencies. OLI Transit eliminates all these factors through market transparency and automation.

A realistic scenario: A company with 45 electric trucks and 160,000 charging kilometers annually pays on average €0.63 per kWh in roaming. With a consumption of 150 kWh per 100 km, annual electricity costs amount to €1,512,000. Administrative costs for card management and billing checks add another €85,000.

With OLI Transit, average charging costs fall to €0.39 per kWh through optimal provider selection. Annual electricity costs reduce to €936,000 – a savings of €576,000. Administrative processes are fully automated, saving an additional €75,000 in personnel costs.

The total saving amounts to €651,000 annually. OLI Transit for this fleet size costs €75,000 for three years, including all services. The amortization occurs in just six weeks – an ROI of over 2,600 percent over the contract duration.

Technology Evolution: AI Promises to Optimize Every Charging Session

The next generation of OLI Transit plans to deploy artificial intelligence for even more precise cost optimization and predictive market analysis. Machine Learning algorithms aim to continuously analyze usage fee patterns and automatically forecast cost-optimal charging strategies.

Particularly promising would be the planned AI-based prediction of usage fees. The system could not only compare current fees from various charging station operators but also predict future developments with high accuracy. An algorithm planning a tour at 5 AM would already consider the predicted fluctuations for the afternoon and recommend optimal charging strategies accordingly.

The cloud-based architecture of OLI Transit allows for continuous updates and improvements without hardware changes. New features are automatically distributed, and the system continuously learns from all user data to optimize the algorithms. AI makes every charging session cheaper.

The latest generation of OLI Transit utilizes artificial intelligence for predictive pricing. Machine Learning algorithms analyze millions of price data points and can predict tariff developments with 89 percent accuracy.

This predictive power enables strategic charging. The system not only recommends the currently cheapest provider but also forecasts future price developments. If prices are expected to rise, the system proactively charges cheaper amounts. If prices are expected to fall, it waits for better tariffs.

Edge computing brings the AI analysis directly into the vehicle. High-performance computers in the truck analyze local price data in real-time and make optimal decisions even without an internet connection. The systems continuously learn from driver behavior and local market conditions.

Integration into Existing Systems

OLI Transit integrates seamlessly into existing fleet software. Standard APIs connect the system with ERP solutions, telematics platforms, and billing systems. Companies can retain their proven processes while still benefiting from optimized charging costs.

The integration also enables enhanced analyses. Business Intelligence tools evaluate OLI Transit data and identify further optimization potentials. Which routes are particularly expensive? Which providers offer the best conditions? Where are investments in in-house charging infrastructure worthwhile?

Predictive Fleet Management thus becomes a reality. The system recognizes patterns in charging behavior and proactively optimizes tours, vehicle utilization, and maintenance intervals. The data quality allows for precise forecasts of operating costs and supports strategic investment decisions.

Selection Criteria: The Right Partner for Market Liberation

When selecting a provider selection platform, several factors are crucial. The market coverage must function across Europe – a system that only works in Germany is of no use to international freight companies. OLI Transit cooperates with over 300 charging station operators in 24 countries.

The technological maturity is critical. Price comparisons must work in real-time, billings must be accurate to the second, and the app must not fail even in dead zones. Only mature systems can handle the complexity of the European energy market.

References in the logistics industry are indispensable. Electric trucks have different requirements than passenger cars – higher charging capacities, more complex tours, and stricter cost controls. A provider without logistics experience will fail.

The cost structure should be transparent and success-based. Systems with high base fees or hidden surcharges reproduce the problems of roaming. OLI Transit only bills based on saved costs – if you don't save, you pay nothing.

Implementation: The Path to Cost Freedom

The implementation begins with a detailed analysis of the current charging costs. OLI Systems evaluates anonymized billing data and identifies specific savings potentials. This baseline analysis takes two weeks and shows exactly where and how much can be saved.

The technical integration is straightforward. Existing charging cards are replaced by OLI Transit cards, the app is installed, and drivers receive a one-hour training session. Most companies are fully transitioned within a week.

Change management is minimal, as OLI Transit simplifies work rather than complicates it. Drivers no longer need to manage multiple cards or manually compare prices. Dispatchers are freed from routine tasks and can focus on strategic planning.

The first savings are immediately visible. Already on the first day, the system shows lower charging costs than the old roaming system. These quick wins build trust and motivate consistent use of all functions.

Future Perspectives: The End of Charging Cost Inflation

OLI Transit is just the beginning of a fundamental market change. Dynamic pricing will make charging electricity a real commodity, with prices fluctuating every second and automatically optimized. Algorithmic trading enables fully automatic cost minimization without human intervention.

Bidirectional charging extends OLI Transit from cost optimization to revenue generation. Electric trucks become rolling batteries that sell electricity to the grid during downtime. The same platform then optimizes not only purchasing prices but also selling prices.

Blockchain-based energy markets will replace traditional energy suppliers in the medium term. Peer-to-peer trading enables direct electricity exchange between producers and consumers. OLI Transit will become the universal trading platform for all energy transactions.

The Turning Point Has Been Reached: Now Utilize Market Freedom

The charging station monopoly is crumbling. OLI Transit is no longer an experimental technology but a proven solution with documented successes. Hundreds of freight companies are already saving millions through free provider choice – a trend that is exponentially increasing.

The market dynamics are accelerating. New charging station operators are competing for market share and offering aggressive prices. The EU is promoting interoperability and price transparency. Roaming monopolies are becoming increasingly untenable and must drastically reduce their prices.

The technology is mature, the savings have been proven, and implementation is risk-free. Companies that act now not only secure immediate cost savings but also strategic advantages for the electrified future of freight transport.

The first step is a free potential analysis. OLI Systems analyzes your current charging costs and concretely shows how much you can save through free provider choice. Most companies are surprised by the potential savings – often amounting to six- or seven-figure sums annually.

The future of electric truck logistics is free, transparent, and market-based. Breaking the monopoly wins. The technology is ready – use it before everyone else does.