To efficiently charge electric vehicles, charging stations and the underlying software must work together smoothly. This is where OCPP comes in. But how exactly does this work, and what does it mean for drivers and businesses?

What is OCPP?

Imagine if all charging stations spoke their own language. That would create enormous chaos and make charging your electric car a real challenge. OCPP is the common language that allows charging stations from different brands and manufacturers to ‘talk’ to each other. It is like the internet, but specifically for charging infrastructure. 

Specifically, OCPP, or Open Charge Point Protocol, is a communication standard used for charging stations to communicate with backend systems, such as CPOs' (Charge Point Operator) management software. The protocol was developed in 2009 by the  Open Charge Alliance (OCA).

Why do we use OCPP at charging stations?

The benefits of OCPP for charging stations are significant. Without a standard protocol such as OCPP, charging stations from different manufacturers and software vendors would not be able to communicate with each other. This would lead to a fragmented system in which each charging station speaks its own unique language. For both companies and electric vehicle drivers, this would create a lot of hassle and confusion.

So OCPP simply ensures interoperability. This means that charging stations that support OCPP can connect to other systems that also work with OCPP. This allows, for example, charging stations from various manufacturers to be integrated into a single management system. This makes management much easier for operators and ensures that EV drivers can work with a universal system.

Benefits of OCPP

How does OCPP work in practice?

A practical example of OCPP in action could be charging an electric car at a Pluginvest charging station. Once a driver connects his car and uses the charging card to start the session, the charging station sends data such as charging card identification, charging speed, and power consumption via OCPP to the central management system.

The system receives this data, validates it, and on that basis can give an approval for the charging session. The whole process, from identifying the charging card to calculating charges and ending the session, is done through the protocols defined in OCPP. Thanks to OCPP, this is all done in a uniform and secure manner, regardless of the brand of the charging station or the software used.

Future releases

The latest version of OCPP, OCPP 2.0.1, introduces new features such as supporting  smart charging  and load balancing. These are technologies that help balance the load on the grid by spreading charging over different times of day or based on energy prices. This will become increasingly important as more electric vehicles hit the road and charging stations are used frequently.

At Pluginvest, we ensure that our charging stations are compatible with the latest OCPP versions, so that our customers can always benefit from the latest innovations in smart charging. OCPP allows us to implement advanced features such as smart charging, contributing to both cost savings and sustainability.

OCPP is the invisible hero behind charging station networks. This protocol provides a standardised and reliable way to manage and use charging stations. OCPP makes charging an electric car as easy as filling up a petrol car.

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