ENERGY
EVgo
Powering the Future of Electric Mobility
How AE Studio became EVgo's long-term embedded technology partner, delivering mobile app improvements, internal tools, and the EVgo eXtend platform across multiple product verticals.
All our hard work is paying off, great job guys!
Leah, VP of Product, EVgo
THE CHALLENGE
The problem.
EVgo operates the largest public fast-charging network for electric vehicles in the United States. As EV adoption accelerated, so did the complexity of their software needs. A growing driver base demanded a more reliable and intuitive mobile experience. Internal teams needed better tools to manage operations at scale. And an expanding ecosystem of partners needed a way to integrate EVgo's charging infrastructure into their own products and services.
No single initiative could address all of this. EVgo needed a technology partner capable of operating across multiple product verticals simultaneously, maintaining quality and speed without the overhead of spinning up new vendor relationships for each workstream.
The stakes were high. EVgo's growth trajectory depended on software keeping pace with physical infrastructure expansion. Delays or quality issues in any of the product areas would directly impact driver experience, partner relationships, and the company's national expansion goals.
THE SOLUTION
What we built.
Embedded AE Pods Across the Organization
Rather than operating as an outside vendor, AE Studio embedded independent pods directly within EVgo's product and engineering organization. Each pod operated with end-to-end ownership across design, development, and QA.
This structure gave EVgo the velocity of an in-house team with the flexibility of an external partner. AE teams worked alongside EVgo employees closely enough that EVgo staff came to consider them part of the internal team. Handoffs were minimal, context was preserved, and delivery remained consistent across multiple concurrent workstreams.
Mobile App Enhancements
AE led mobile development initiatives focused on improving reliability, user flow, and station discovery for EVgo drivers. The mobile app is the primary interface between EVgo and its customers, making quality and performance improvements here directly tied to driver satisfaction and retention.
Enhancements covered core charging session flows, station search and filtering, and overall app stability. The goal was to remove friction from the EV charging experience and give drivers confidence in EVgo's network.
EVgo eXtend: A Platform for Partner Integrations
One of AE's most significant contributions was leading the architecture and rollout of EVgo eXtend, a platform that enables EVgo's partners to integrate the charging network into their own ecosystems and offer charging benefits directly to their customers.
eXtend opened EVgo's infrastructure to third parties at scale, creating new revenue channels and deepening relationships across the EV ecosystem. AE designed the architecture to support rapid onboarding of new partners and the scaling demands that come with broad third-party adoption.
EVgo Access: Operational Visibility and Control
AE built EVgo Access, an internal tool giving EVgo teams the ability to monitor, report on, and take action during critical moments across the charging network. Real-time visibility into network status and operational events is essential for a company managing thousands of charging stations nationwide.
Access gave EVgo's operations teams the data and controls they needed to respond quickly and maintain network reliability, reducing the manual effort required to manage at scale.
Site Host Portal: Connecting Location Partners
AE developed the Site Host Portal, a tool enabling EVgo to communicate and exchange information with the property owners and businesses that host their charging stations. Site hosts need visibility into station performance, usage data, and operational status at their locations.
The portal streamlined this relationship, replacing manual communication with a structured, self-service interface that gave hosts the information they needed while reducing the operational burden on EVgo's internal teams.
Internal Tools for Operational Scale
Beyond the customer-facing products, AE delivered internal tooling that automated operational workflows and improved data management across the organization. As EVgo scaled nationally, the complexity of running the network grew. Internal tools that once worked at smaller scale became bottlenecks.
AE identified these friction points and built solutions that allowed EVgo's teams to operate more efficiently without proportionally growing headcount.
HOW IT WORKS
The details.
Working as an Embedded Part of EVgo's Team
Rather than operating as an outside vendor, AE Studio placed small, independent teams directly inside EVgo's product and engineering organisation. Each team owned their work end to end, from design through development and quality assurance. EVgo employees came to think of the AE teams as part of their own organisation. Context was preserved, handoffs were minimal, and delivery stayed consistent across several workstreams running in parallel.
Improving the App Drivers Use Every Day
AE led mobile development work focused on making the EVgo app more reliable and easier to use. The app is the main point of contact between EVgo and its customers, so improvements here directly affect driver satisfaction and whether they come back. Work covered the core charging session flow, station search and filtering, and overall app stability.
Opening EVgo's Network to Partner Companies
One of the most significant pieces of work was designing and building EVgo eXtend, a platform that lets EVgo's partners integrate the charging network into their own products and offer charging benefits to their customers. AE built the architecture to support rapid onboarding of new partners and the scale demands that come with broad third-party adoption.
Giving EVgo's Operations Teams Real-Time Visibility
AE built EVgo Access, an internal tool that lets EVgo's teams monitor the charging network, view reports, and take action when something goes wrong. Running thousands of charging stations nationwide requires fast, reliable visibility. Access gave operations teams the data and controls they needed to respond quickly and keep the network running reliably.
A Self-Service Portal for Property Owners
Property owners and businesses that host EVgo charging stations need to see how their stations are performing. AE built the Site Host Portal so these partners can access station data, usage reports, and operational status on their own, without calling EVgo for updates. This freed EVgo's internal teams from handling routine information requests.
Internal Tools That Kept Pace With EVgo's Growth
As EVgo scaled nationally, internal workflows that worked at a smaller size became bottlenecks. AE identified these friction points and built tools to automate them. This allowed EVgo's teams to operate more efficiently without needing to hire proportionally as the company grew.
OUTCOMES
What shipped.
Double-digit increase in EVgo stock price following eXtend launch
Multiple product verticals delivered simultaneously
EVgo eXtend platform enabling partner integrations at scale
Mobile, internal tools, and partner platforms all improved
AE teams considered in-house by EVgo employees
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What we learned.
- Embedded partnership models outperform traditional vendor relationships for complex, multi-workstream engagements. AE's pod structure gave EVgo in-house velocity without sacrificing flexibility.
- Platform thinking creates compounding value. EVgo eXtend transformed EVgo from a charging operator into an infrastructure layer for the broader EV ecosystem, unlocking new revenue channels and partner relationships.
- Operational tooling is as important as customer-facing products. Internal tools like EVgo Access and the Site Host Portal removed friction from network management, enabling EVgo to scale without proportional headcount growth.
- Long-term partnerships build irreplaceable context. Years of embedded work meant AE teams understood EVgo's systems, culture, and goals deeply enough to deliver without the ramp-up costs of new vendor relationships.
- Software quality directly impacts physical network reliability. For a company managing thousands of charging stations nationwide, software failures translate to real driver frustration and lost revenue.
IN SUMMARY
Bottom line.
In summary, AE Studio's partnership with EVgo demonstrates what a long-term embedded technology relationship can produce. As a result, by working across mobile, internal tools, and partner platforms simultaneously, AE helped EVgo build the digital infrastructure to match its physical network expansion. Furthermore, the launch of EVgo eXtend marked a turning point in EVgo's business model, and the consistent quality delivered across every product vertical has reinforced AE's position as a trusted, indispensable partner in EVgo's mission to power the future of electric mobility.
FAQ
Frequently asked.
What is EVgo and why did they need a technology partner?
What is EVgo eXtend and what did AE Studio build?
How did AE Studio structure its work with EVgo?
What is EVgo Access?
What is the Site Host Portal?
LET'S TALK
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