Charger Management
OCPP stands for Open Charge Point Protocol, it's the main standard defining communications between EV charging stations and cloud management systems. OCPP is developed and maintained by the Open Charge Alliance, an industry body with membership from all areas of the EV charging landscape. OCPP was not originally an official international standard, becoming an industry standard before being approved by the IEC as the IEC 63584 standard in 2024. Other than some proprietary protocols used by PodPoint and Tesla for example and markets such as China, OCPP is the protocol used by every charging station deployed in the field today.
OCPP 2.0.1 was launched in 2018 as the first major release after OCPP 1.6 with many improvements. The key areas that distinguish this version are Security, ISO15118 Support, Device Models, improved Transaction handling & Smart Charging, and Tariff & Display support. These feature areas result in a more secure, fast, and low cost charging experience for drivers and operators.
While numbers of 2.0.1 stations deployed currently are low, it is fast becoming the norm for new installs and from February 2024 the USA NEVI funding requirements include that chargers must support 2.0.1. Now is the perfect time to learn about and implement this new protocol and unlock value for all stakeholders in the EV charging marketplace.
