OCPP, OCPI and ISO 15118 for charging site owners

Three layers of communication

• Car to charger: ISO 15118 and IEC 61851. ISO 15118 enables Plug and Charge, in which the car identifies itself and the session starts without a card or app.
• Charger to back-end: OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), published by the Open Charge Alliance (opens an external site). The back-end is the charging station management system, or CSMS, that starts sessions, sets prices, updates firmware and collects data.
• Back-end to other networks and apps: OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface) (opens an external site), which lets a driver's app or card from another network work at your charger.
• Back-end to the utility and incentive programs: demand response signals, such as OpenADR, and the data reporting that programs require.

A charger does not support OCPI. OCPI runs between servers, not in the charger: the charger controller implements OCPP, and the back-end implements OCPI. Charger controllers made for export commonly advertise OCPP 1.6J and, increasingly, OCPP 2.0.1; the claim is checked against the Open Charge Alliance's certified product list for the specific model.

OCPP versions

Some hardware sold as OCPP 1.6J cannot be upgraded to 2.0.1 in the field. Because Make-Ready DC fast charging and NEVI require 2.0.1, ask before buying whether the exact model ships with 2.0.1 or has a confirmed upgrade path.

What lock-in looks like

Lock-in is rarely a single clause. It is a combination of technical and contract terms that together make changing providers expensive. None of the items below is specific to one company.

• Firmware that works only with one cloud service, or a CSMS address the owner cannot change.
• Administrator credentials held only by the vendor.
• A warranty that is void if the charger is connected to a different back-end.
• No right to export session, revenue and uptime data in a standard format.
• Multi-year prepaid software plans without termination assistance.

Checks before buying, terms before signing

Before buying, verify six things about the exact model: OCA certification, rather than a brochure statement that the charger is OCPP compliant, because partial implementations can break smart charging and remote firmware updates; the OCPP version and which certified functions are included, such as smart charging profiles, which allow a site power cap to control demand charges; the security profile supported and how firmware updates are delivered and signed; who holds the administrator login and who can change the CSMS address setting; for DC chargers, ISO 15118 hardware and software conformance, which Make-Ready and NEVI require; and a wired Ethernet option for garages and basements where cellular coverage is weak.

The contract should then state the following.

• Owner-held administrator credentials and the right to change the CSMS address.
• Data export in a standard format, on request and at termination.
• Termination assistance, including a defined period of cooperation when moving to a new back-end.
• A statement that switching back-ends does not void the hardware warranty.
• Uptime and utilization reporting in the format the incentive programs require, since that reporting is now a condition of funding in New York.

New York and federal requirements

The Make-Ready Program (opens an external site) requires DC fast charging stations to use OCPP 2.0.1 or later and to have ISO 15118 hardware and software conformance. Since the 2026 program changes, projects must use a network service provider on the Eligible NSP List, and providers must meet a 90% data-reporting threshold to stay on it. Participants who switch network providers or replace equipment must notify their utility within 30 days. Make-Ready DC fast charging applications have been paused since April 22, 2026 and may reopen once data-reporting compliance plans are approved. NYSERDA's Charge Ready NY 2.0, for Level 2, likewise accepts only chargers and networks on its eligible lists.

For federally funded NEVI sites, 23 CFR 680.108 (opens an external site) requires chargers to conform to OCPP 2.0.1 and ISO 15118, requires networks to communicate with other networks through OCPI 2.2.1, and requires chargers to be able to switch network providers securely without any hardware changes. The federal rule treats the ability to change networks as a basic requirement, and it is a reasonable standard for private sites as well.

We commission chargers on the back-end the owner chooses, record the configuration and hand over the administrator credentials, so the station belongs to the owner rather than to a subscription. Electrical installation is performed by licensed partner electricians, and network cabling comes through our low-voltage service.