The 28-page document begins with an introduction where Dr. Mültin argues that the EV charging industry is currently at an inflection point. He believes that OCPP 1.6 doesn’t serve the needs of an EV mass market anymore and that the time has come to embrace the benefits of the latest versions. Dr. Mültin also thinks that the perception of OCPP 2.0.1 has seen a drastic shift in the past year. From there being no OCPP 2.01 compliant chargers on the market and no regulations or tenders asking for OCPP 2.01 support to the first fully-compliant chargers and Charging Station Management Systems being around the corner.
According to Dr. Mültin, OCPP 1.6 has served the industry well in the years since it was published in 2015. However, he believes that the current mass market transition from gasoline cars to electric cars means that it is time to embrace OCPP 2.x. The improvements and new features offered by OCPP 2.0.1 are a big step up from OCPP 1.6 and can benefit EV drivers and charging network operators.
The white paper discusses the key differences between OCPP 2.0.1 and OCPP 1.6. The major benefits of OCPP 2.0.1 include:
- Native support for ISO 15118 and Plug and Charge
- More sophisticated support for smart charging
- Strong cybersecurity
- Advanced diagnostics and monitoring
- V2X support for both CHAdeMO and ISO 15118-20.
Also mentioned in the white paper is the trend by EV charger manufacturers and CSMS providers to try and implement OCPP 2.0.1 features into the 1.6 protocol. This could result in interoperability issues, which meant the Open Charge Alliance had to step in and provide some guidance. While the resulting application note called “Using ISO 15118 Plug & Charge with OCPP 1.6” works, it’s not the most elegant solution. However, Dr. Mültin believes it requires nearly the same effort to implement as it would to simply go down the OCPP 2.0.1 path.
To receive a full copy of the white paper for free, visit the following link: https://mailchi.mp/44be5b7210fe/benefits-of-ocpp-white-paper
