Open Charge Alliance Debuts OCPP 2.0 Open Standards-Based Electric Vehicle Charging
The Open Charge Alliance (OCA) announced the release of Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 2.0, Release Candidate 1 (RC1). OCPP is the accepted EV protocol in 50 countries and over 10,000 stations. Built to retain and extend the foundational functionality of OCPP 1.5, version 2.0 introduces vital new features that support pricing, smart charging, and enhanced charge station health and maintenance in a more efficient, modern transport. OCPP is a freely available open standard that enables site hosts to "mix and match" interoperable EV hardware and software without the need to reinvest in new charging stations.
OCPP was first defined and deployed in 2010 and is a proven way to optimize the cost and risk of networked infrastructure investments. The current version, OCPP 1.5, was rolled out in August 2011 and is credited with driving innovation within the industry. New versions of OCPP are collaboratively defined within an open industry alliance to ensure that the protocol continues to meet evolving market requirements. Today charging network operators and service providers in more than 50 countries rely on OCPP 1.2 and 1.5 to manage more than 10,000 charging stations.
"At OCA, we have enlisted the active participation of working groups around the world to further develop OCPP," said Onoph Caron, founding member of the Open Charge Alliance and director of E-laad. "Open standards, when applied in a commercial environment, stimulate competition and therefore price and quality, which we believe will accelerate global EV adoption."
A key OCA initiative is the establishment of a Compliancy Working Group to provide tools and processes (e.g. for interoperability testing and formal certification) that allow members to prove the compliance of their OCPP implementations to published specifications. OCA will create compliancy tools and sponsor interoperability testing for both OCPP 1.5 and 2.0.
"With the debut of OCPP 2.0, operators of charge station networks will have greater visibility and access to critical pricing, smart charging and station health features. We'd like to thank all those who contributed to this global initiative, for it is that widespread cooperation that has made OCPP the de facto communication standard for EV charging networks," said Brett Hauser, founding member of the Open Charge Alliance and president of Greenlots.
