Olga Haygood is the CEO of S44 Energy, a software company that solves the real-world problems behind EV charging infrastructure. Her team created a widely adopted open-source project, now hosted by the Linux Foundation, as well as the industry’s first Open-as-a-Service charge station management software. She is deeply engaged in advancing democratization and standardization across the industry.

In this Q&A, Olga explains what’s holding the EV industry back and what it will take to future-proof public charging networks worldwide.

EV charging infrastructure is expanding in the U.S., but many say it’s not happening fast enough. What’s the real holdup?

The hardware is accelerating, but the software layer is a serious drag on progress. Even with federal funding and increased charger deployment, operators still face major roadblocks with permitting, grid interconnection and fragmented backend systems that are hard to scale.

Most operators today are working with outdated or closed software that limits visibility and slows down upgrades and customization. That’s where we see a major opportunity to deliver open, protocol-compliant software that simplifies deployment and doesn’t lock you into someone else’s road map.

One in five public charging attempts in the U.S. still fails. Why is reliability such a persistent challenge?

It’s easy to point fingers at hardware when a charger doesn’t work, but the real issue is visibility into the state of that hardware. Most charging stations operate unattended, and without the right software, operators have no way of knowing when something goes wrong. Over time, that leads to common failures like payment glitches, power issues or chargers marked as “available” when they simply don’t work.

The answer lies in better protocol compliance and real-time operational tools. With support for OCPP 2.0.1, you can do more than just communicate with a charger — you can monitor health, push updates and ensure a smooth driver experience across brands and networks. That’s where the industry needs to go.

Most CPOs still aren’t profitable. What’s going wrong on the business side?

The economics are tough, especially for smaller or regional operators. Many are paying high SaaS subscription fees plus per-session or revenue-share costs that can eat into margins. At the same time, they’re locked into rigid tools that don’t adapt to their evolving needs.

Operators need more cost transparency, operational control and flexibility. Whether you’re running 10 chargers or 10,000, you should be able to own your data, configure your workflows and grow without re-platforming every time your business shifts.

There’s a lot of buzz around OCPP 2.0.1. Why is it such a big deal?

OCPP 2.0.1 is a leap forward for the entire industry. It enables things like Plug & Charge, smart energy management, live diagnostics and secure communications between hardware and software systems. Nearly every North American operator uses OCPP, but in practice, most implementations are limited to version 1.6 and include a host of customizations. This undermines broader adoption of the more capable OCPP 2.0.1. While many operators are eager to embrace the new standard, they often find themselves locked into SaaS or proprietary solutions that are quick to deploy but difficult to evolve.

The real challenge is that the industry tolerates loose interpretations of the standard and lacks strong enforcement around compliance. Until vendors are held to higher standards and open systems are more widely supported, poor charging experiences will slow EV adoption.

EV adoption is uneven across the U.S., with big gaps between the coasts. What will help close that gap?

Global EV sales have tripled in the last three years, but they’re definitely concentrated in certain locations. In lower-density regions, the number one reason people don’t switch to EVs is fear of charger availability or failure. If you’ve only got two public stations nearby and one doesn’t work, you’re stranded.

For drivers, the expectation is simple: a public charger should be as easy to access and use as a gas pump. Pull up, see the price, tap to pay and go. No app downloading, no broken chargers, no uncertainty. To make that a reality, especially outside major metro areas, operators need systems that offer real-time visibility, fast fault resolution and seamless integration with roaming platforms. When small and midsized networks have access to tools that make them just as reliable as the big ones, trust builds and adoption follows.

Utilities and fleets are becoming major players in charging. How do their needs differ?

Utilities are investing in charging as part of their grid modernization strategies, and fleets are building infrastructure to control costs and uptime. Both groups need deep customization, robust data integration and long-term interoperability.

These players must integrate EV charging infrastructure into broader systems for billing, grid response, route planning, facility management, etcetera. Modular, API-first software is the best way to scale and evolve with these businesses.

What makes your team uniquely qualified to solve these challenges?

We’re not newcomers to EV charging — we’ve been building core software for a decade. Our team helped deliver the backend for one of the largest public charging networks in North America and built early platforms for many automotive OEMs. We were part of EV Charging 1.0 and have seen firsthand the issues that need to be addressed to get us to the next level.

That’s one reason we created TopazEV, the industry’s first Open-as-a-Service CSMS. Our expertise sits at the intersection of protocol compliance, product design and deployment in the real world. We know what it takes to make a charger network not just functional, but profitable, scalable and future-proof.

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