This is a text for all of you affected by the recent developments concerning Garo Entity EV chargers.
The point of this text is to assure all of you who chose Garo Entity as your EV charger of choice that your decision was good. As with most other things in life, no one has a crystal ball. All decisions must be made with the information at hand at any given moment.
Why choosing Garo Entity was a good decision
The decision to go forward with a charging system consisting of Garo Entity chargers had many benefits:
- An established manufacturer with a very long history and legacy.
- Technically capable chargers from a manufacturer that has been in the charging industry as one of the pioneers.
- A customer-friendly attitude towards openness, offering their own ecosystem while allowing Entity Pro chargers to connect to other operating platforms.
What Garo’s announcement means
As some of you may have noticed, Garo announced on 1 October 2026 the discontinuation of the Entity product family. Garo says service, spare parts and technical support will continue according to existing agreements and commitments. Still, this is unwelcome news for customers, installers, CPOs and others in the industry, especially those who have invested in that ecosystem with chargers, integrations etc. As an established player, Garo has been seen as one of the “sure bets”, and there were good reasons for that.
But as with any developing market, the tides can turn quite rapidly, and you need to be prepared for major changes. One moment you're standing on solid ground, only to find yourself swept out to sea. In these cases, it is quite useful to have brought a lifejacket. In the EV charging world, OCPP can be that lifejacket.
OCPP keeps your options open
This is where the openness you chose becomes practical. Whether you specifically asked for OCPP or it came with the recommendation, you have a way to connect your Entity Pro chargers to another operating platform. Independent providers already publish instructions for doing exactly that. Garo's decision changes the plans for the product family, but it doesn't mean your plans for the installation have to end with it. The question becomes how to continue using what you already have and how to build on it when more charging is needed.
Even if you cannot expand your charging infrastructure with Garo Entity chargers in the future, an appropriate OCPP-based load management system can provide a route to using other manufacturers alongside the existing equipment. Compatibility, configuration and load management still need to be checked for the actual installation.
Yes, the Garo Connect ecosystem is tied to Garo, but fortunately the chargers have a route to other operating platforms. This can mean some inconvenience, integration work and multiple manufacturers on the same site, which may add complexity to maintenance. But you have options for continuing with the equipment you already own, rather than assuming functioning chargers must be replaced.
Openness is worth protecting
This is also something Garo deserves credit for. They offered their own ecosystem while allowing customers to choose other operating platforms. That was a customer-friendly decision, and its value has become particularly clear now. The openness was part of what Garo sold, and their philosophy. So when I say choosing Garo was a good decision, I also mean that Garo made good decisions about what they offered their customers. Those decisions continue to benefit customers even as the company changes direction.
A manufacturer changing direction could happen to others too. Solely placing your bets on which company is most likely to be around in ten years leaves an important question unanswered: even if the company is still there, will it still support the same products and services? Instead, make decisions with the facts at hand, such as open interfaces and the ability to change service providers. Trust those players that champion openness, like Garo.
Your investment still has a future
Even though it might not feel like it at the moment, your decision and risk management are paying off. Nobody particularly wanted a practical demonstration, but here we are. You chose a supplier you trusted and equipment that gave you a way forward if that supplier's plans changed. Those plans have now changed. The options you preserved are still there.
If you have a Garo Entity installation and are wondering about the next steps, get in touch with us at Wattery. We can help you assess the options for continuing with your existing chargers and expanding when needed. You've already invested in good equipment. Let's look at how to build on that.