OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is developed and maintained by the Open Charge Alliance, an industry body with membership from all areas of the EV charging landscape. While not officially an international standard, OCPP 1.6 has established itself as the de facto industry standard that powers the vast majority of charging stations currently deployed globally.

Released in 2015, OCPP 1.6 has proven to be remarkably durable and continues to dominate the charging infrastructure landscape today. This version introduced critical features including smart charging capabilities, firmware management, reservation handling, and basic security features. Its widespread adoption can be attributed to its relative simplicity, robust functionality, and the extensive ecosystem of compatible hardware and software that has developed around it.

Despite newer versions being available (2.0.1 and 2.1), OCPP 1.6 remains the most widely implemented protocol in existing charging networks worldwide. For operators with established infrastructure, it continues to provide reliable communication between charging stations and management systems. However, as the industry moves toward more sophisticated charging scenarios involving bidirectional power flow, enhanced security requirements, and plug-and-charge capabilities, many are beginning the migration to newer OCPP versions to future-proof their operations and take advantage of advanced features not available in this legacy protocol.