IN Brief:
- Monta has integrated Plugsurfing’s European roaming network into its operator platform.
- The deal expands roaming access to more than one million charging points across 26 countries.
- Operators using Monta do not need separate Plugsurfing contracts or additional integrations.
Monta and Plugsurfing have formed a roaming partnership that expands Monta’s European charging coverage to more than one million charging points across 26 countries.
The integration gives charge point operators using Monta access to Plugsurfing’s European charging network through the platform they already use. The connection runs through Plugsurfing’s Roam OCPI product, with Monta handling commercial setup, technical connection, billing, and charge detail record reconciliation.
Monta’s roaming coverage will increase from more than 600,000 to more than one million active charging points, including additional high-power charging locations. Operators using Monta can continue to run their own app, backend, pricing, and customer relationship, while the Plugsurfing coverage becomes available through the existing platform setup.
The structure removes the need for charge point operators to manage separate contracts, individual roaming integrations, and multiple settlement processes. Drivers using an operator’s app or charging card can access the wider connected network, while operators retain control over tariffs and customer experience.
The deal sits within Monta’s Managed Roaming Network model, which centralises partnerships, integrations, and billing. Plugsurfing’s Roam OCPI is used as the connection layer, normalising tariff data, validating charge detail records, and consolidating billing across a broad set of network relationships.
Roaming interoperability has become a central issue in European EV infrastructure. Public and fleet charging networks have expanded quickly, while access remains fragmented across apps, cards, payment systems, CPO platforms, e-mobility service providers, and roaming hubs. For operators, the burden sits in commercial administration as much as technical integration.
A more consolidated software layer can reduce that burden. Rather than every CPO building bilateral roaming agreements with every major eMSP or platform, managed roaming can aggregate network access while leaving operators in control of brand and customer relationships. That model places more responsibility on the platform to manage data quality, reconciliation, tariff transparency, and session reliability.
The electrical side of charging expansion remains just as important. In the UK, motorway charging capacity has already prompted consultation on support for grid upgrades at strategic charging locations, with network capacity and upgrade cost emerging as barriers to future EV charging deployment. Monta and Plugsurfing address a different layer of the same infrastructure challenge: once chargers exist and have power, users and operators still need reliable, interoperable access.
High-power charging coverage is especially relevant for long-distance routes, depot-adjacent public charging, and commercial fleet operations. Access to more high-power charge points can increase route flexibility, but the technical experience still depends on charger uptime, payment reliability, tariff data, connector availability, and session authorisation.
OCPI-based roaming has become one of the more important standards in this area. The protocol supports communication between charging networks and service providers, allowing location data, session authorisation, tariffs, and billing records to move between systems. Its practical value depends on implementation quality; poor data hygiene can still result in incorrect charger status, unclear pricing, failed sessions, or delayed settlement.
The partnership also reflects a maturing market for charge point management systems. Early charging software focused heavily on operating individual chargers, authorising sessions, and reporting uptime. Larger operators now need platforms that handle energy management, roaming, billing, diagnostics, fleet integration, tariff structures, and hardware interoperability across multiple manufacturers and sites.
For CPOs, managed roaming can reduce administrative load while altering the competitive landscape. Operators can extend network value without owning every charger, while software platforms become more central to customer access. That creates a stronger link between charging infrastructure, payment systems, and commercial energy services.
The next phase of EV charging expansion in Europe will depend on more than charge point numbers. Networks will need to be interoperable, commercially manageable, and technically reliable. The Monta and Plugsurfing deal expands coverage, but its long-term value will be measured by whether it removes friction from charging operations at scale.
