Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI): what is it and how does it work?
Drivers of petrol-fueled cars generally don’t stop to check which fuel company operates the petrol station they plan to fill up with. Imagine how cumbersome it would be if they had to use one specific fuel provider (Shell, BP, Esso, etc) only? The same type of seamless autonomy that exists within fuel providers is the goal of the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol for electric vehicle charging.
In this article, we will explain everything about OCPI and roaming. Furthermore, we will explain how it concerns Chargetrip’s EV routing technology.
Roaming
In much the same way roaming allows mobile phone users to effortlessly switch between phone networks as they move about, EV Roaming does the same job for electric vehicles. However, it wasn’t always that simple. Early CPOs (Charge Point Operators) only allowed access to their public charge points to EV drivers via charge cards for their specific charging stations. Clearly for EVs to be a viable alternative to traditional internal combustion engine-powered cars, the same autonomy needed to exist, alleviating range anxiety in the process, which brings us to eRoaming.
On the front end for consumers, eRoaming for EV drivers is simple. It allows them to charge their vehicles anywhere, throughout countries, and across borders. On the back end, the process is complex, requiring agreement between EMSOs (EMobility Service Providers), CPOs along with the integration of different languages, currencies, tax rates, and regulations. Couple all this with a handy EV charging self-service phone app that allows drivers to plan their routes based on EV charging station availability, reserve usage, and charge directly to their customer account — and seamless charging on the go just became a reality.
One slight caveat in the customer experience is the “home” and “away” charging protocol. When traveling, customers will charge at an e-Mobility provider, not covered by their “home” provider. This “away” charge is then integrated into their monthly EMSP invoice.
How EMSPs Benefit From eRoaming
In much the same way as record companies benefit from music streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify allowing as many listeners as possible to hear their artists’ songs, e-Roaming allows the highest number of EV drivers possible to get on the road and charge their cars without fear of running out getting stranded. Just like a record label makes money each time a song is streamed, EMSPs profit from consumers signed to their charging network, regardless of how they choose to charge their vehicle.
OCPIs
By providing the public with a large charging infrastructure, drivers can take to the road without any fear of being stranded without charge. The OCPI enables this to happen. It’s the interface that allows one standard form of billing for EVs regardless of which charging station is used, in which country, and by which manufacturer not to mention legal and tax implications. However, OCPIs are not a driver’s only option. They are in direct competition with other e-Roaming platforms such as e-clearing.net and Hubjet.
Advantages of OCPI Protocol In A Charge Point Setting
- Allows, scalable automated roaming
- Is open, free of charge, and can work both bilaterally and with roaming modes, making it flexible and cost-effective for CPOs to use. It also networks well with EMSPs.
- Supports different services including charging detail records such as transaction events at charging stations.
- Supports the exchange of smart charging commands between parties making it future-proof.
- Its technology can be adapted for wider use by other energy suppliers, public utilities, and even chains of stores.
Advantages for OCPIs For Electric Vehicle Users
- It’s a stable reliable and safe application
- Increases access to the charging infrastructure
- Allows instant access to location, availability, and charging costs of charging stations.
Why is OCPI important for Chargetrip?
The Chargetrip station database, which is OCPI 2.2 compliant, allows the Chargetrip algorithm to compute various routes. Our database can be populated with information from numerous sources and our API comes pre-integrated with the Eco-Movement charge station. Eco-Movement is a Dutch firm specializing in the collection and cleaning of charge station’s data. We are also able to integrate the data from other third parties as well as an individual client’s custom data. Then, through the OCPI protocol, developers working our API can retrieve real-time information about the location, availability, and price of charge stations.
Chargetrip develops a powerful routing engine for electric mobility. As an API-based SaaS company, Chargetrip is accelerating the advent of sustainable transportation by developing the missing tools that help people and businesses switch to electric mobility.
