The Open Charging Point Interface (OCPI) map for charging electric vehicles

The technology world loves vague acronyms: OCPP, OCPI, OCSP ... For those interested in electric vehicles, it's important to understand what technological innovations these acronyms represent and how they affect you as a consumer.

Summary:One of them requires special attention to the OCPI or Open Charge Point Interface. This is closely related to another issue discussed earlier, Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). To illustrate this, let's briefly discuss the communication protocol and how OCPI differs from OCPP and OCSP. By the end of this article, these acronyms will be trusted friends rather than mystical symbols.

What is a communication protocol?

They don't manufacture, plan, or design all technology the same way. At last count, there were about 300 programming languages that formed the basis of the creation of the program. And that's before we even get to the countless kinds of hardware and technology that you personally own, built into every device and software. In other words, trying to create different hardware and software components to communicate with each other is like throwing two people living somewhere on Earth in the same room and hoping they can solve a puzzle together.

If these communication difficulties are the problem we are trying to solve, we might consider communication protocols such as translation procedures. They speak to the multitude of hardware and software involved in how we communicate smoothly and efficiently with each other. Instead of confusing and incompatible chaos, their protocols allow us to work together to solve the problem.

Thus, the communication protocols allow your mobile phone#171;talk" use of a computer or Bluetooth headset#171;talk" on your cell phone without doing anything other than connecting your phone.

Open charging point interface (OCPI)

OCPI is the kind of communication protocol discussed in this article; it is managed by the EV Roaming Foundation. This ensures that it remains free and has as little impact on consumers as possible. As you know, OCPI manages the communication between toll booths and e-mobility providers, giving drivers access to toll booths. As a result, OCPI-enabled devices automatically roaming Drivers easily and easily connect to different electric vehicle charging networks; think of it as debit cards and cash that can only be used in one country.

OCPI is not the only protocol of its kind, however, and for a better understanding it is useful to take a brief look at some of the others.

Other protocols for other connections

How these myriad technical devices communicate with each other is a very complex process. The similarities to language are quite relevant. Different languages, dialects, and social rules make it very difficult for a person to communicate with another person in another part of the world. They are even difficult to persuade to speak on certain topics. You can think of them &.#171;topics" as different pairs of devices.

As a result, communication protocols are often designed for specific pairs -- OCPP, OCSP, OCPI, OSCP are all communication protocols... However, they are based on different pairs of technologies in the billing infrastructure to solve specific problems... Note that OCPP and OCSP are produced by the same group, the Open Charge Alliance.

• Open Charging Protocol (OCPP): Probably the most well-known and widely used communication protocol in the catalog, OCPP is designed to provide open communication between charging stations and the systems used by managers. It also allows the exchange of information between electric vehicles and the electric grid.

• Open Smart Debit Protocol (OSCP): Among the simplest protocols, OSCP's role is at least as important. It can transmit 24-hour forecasts of local electric power so that charging stations can plan accordingly. OCPI.

What does OCPI do for me?

Simply put, OCPI allows different electric vehicle charging networks without having a separate bill or other cumbersome means of verification for each. This makes it easier to issue permits for electric vehicles.#171;move" from place to place. It also provides other benefits such as pricing, billing information, charging status, and platform monitoring. However, roaming is most important because it prevents users from being tied to the same billing network.

However, two of these benefits are especially useful for businesses.

Billing and rates

The connectivity provided by OCPI allows drivers to be billed from different stations instead of having to track each station. Saving time by collecting them in one place can be a real economic benefit. Similarly, calculating energy bills across national and state borders can be very complicated - a problem that is eliminated because the OCPI process does it.

With these two advantages, billing and accounting, which can be an onerous investment for companies, is done automatically with minimal effort.

Put it all together.

OCPI is one of a broader set of acronyms describing a communication protocol that allows different parts of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure to communicate with each other. However, it is not a standardized protocol that allows electric vehicle drivers to roam between different electric vehicle charging networks. So this is an important part of the effort to make electric vehicles as versatile as their gasoline counterparts to increase adoption.

Want to take advantage of electric vehicle charging software capabilities? Contact us today and see how we can help.