Key takeaways from our ACT Fleet Forum panel on hardware-software integration

We recently spoke at the ACT Fleet Forum on a panel about hardware and software integrations, alongside leaders from Purolator, EV Realty, and Kempower.

Here are the key takeaways we shared.

1. Being a good partner matters

At Flipturn, we work collaboratively with our customers, OEMs, operations and maintenance providers, and more to ensure high uptime and reliable operations. The EV charging ecosystem is complex, and no single company can do it all alone. Success depends on strong partnerships.

This philosophy is baked into how we operate. When our charger compatibility testing process uncovers an issue with a specific charger model, we don't just work around it — we compile detailed reports with OCPP logs and configuration details and share them with the manufacturer. The goal is always to make the shared customer successful, not to point fingers.

We've built deep partnerships with charger OEMs, installation companies, and utility programs across the industry. These relationships mean that when a customer needs help, we can often coordinate across multiple parties to resolve issues faster than anyone could working alone.

2. Reliability is more than uptime

Reliability isn't just about whether the charger is reporting errors. It's about identifying the effect on charging operations, diagnosing what the underlying issue is, and quickly resolving the issue so that the vehicle can depart on time. True reliability means the entire chain works — from charger to vehicle to schedule to dispatch.

This is why we invested so heavily in building Flip AI. A charger might report "Available" status but still be failing to initiate charging sessions. A charger might be technically online but delivering stale configuration data. These subtle issues don't show up in a simple uptime dashboard — they require deeper analysis that our platform performs automatically.

3. Real-world results speak loudest

We always spend as much time as possible talking about real savings, real impact on uptime, and specific real-world examples of power management. Customers don't want theoretical benefits; they want to see what the platform has actually achieved for fleets like theirs.

During the panel, we shared examples from customers who've saved thousands per month through intelligent power management, reduced charger downtime through proactive monitoring, and simplified operations through features like FIFO prioritization and custom depot views. These aren't hypothetical scenarios — they're outcomes measured at real customer sites.

A customer perspective

Purolator's Jeff McAleese highlighted a salient point during our panel: when you've already got a charging strategy in place, the software should be smart enough to follow it and adapt when things change. That's exactly the philosophy behind Flipturn — intelligent automation that respects your operational expertise rather than overriding it.

This resonated deeply with the audience. Fleet operators know their operations better than anyone. They don't need software that tells them how to run their fleet — they need software that makes their existing strategy easier to execute, monitors for problems they might miss, and adapts automatically when conditions change.

We're grateful for the opportunity to share our perspective alongside such impressive industry leaders, and we look forward to continuing to push the conversation about what great hardware-software integration looks like in EV charging.

About Flipturn

Flipturn is a leading EV charging management platform, helping organizations maximize charger uptime, process charging payments, and scale operations efficiently. Backed by leading investors including CRV and Accel, Flipturn serves Fortune 500 companies, commercial property owners, and major fleet operators across North America.