OCPP
Open Charge Point Protocol — the open communication standard between EV charging stations and a central management system, enabling fleet operators to monitor charging sessions, control access, manage energy loads, and integrate with third-party software regardless of charger manufacturer.
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This page is built to do more than define a term in one line. It explains what OCPP means, why buyers keep seeing it while researching software, where it affects category and vendor evaluation, and which related topics are worth opening next.
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Compare Telematics software →Why OCPP Matters for Fleet EV Charging
Without an open standard, every charging hardware manufacturer would require you to use their proprietary management software — locking you into a single vendor for both hardware and software, with no ability to switch independently. OCPP breaks this lock-in by defining a standardized communication protocol between chargers (charge points) and charge point management software (CPMS). An OCPP-compliant charger from Vendor A can communicate with charge management software from Vendor B, giving fleet operators hardware choice, software choice, and the ability to negotiate better pricing from both sides.
Core OCPP Features Fleet Managers Use Daily
The most operationally important OCPP features for depot charging fleets are: remote start/stop (dispatch can release or stop a charging session from the management console), charging profiles (define the maximum rate and schedule for each connector — essential for demand charge management), transaction records (every session logged with vehicle ID, energy delivered in kWh, start time, stop time, cost), and status notifications (the CPMS receives real-time updates on charger availability, faults, and connector state). OCPP 1.6 and above also enables local authorization — a vehicle can begin charging even when connectivity to the central server is interrupted, using a cached authorization list.
Real-World Example: Mixed-Hardware Depot with OCPP
A last-mile delivery operator electrifying a depot with 40 charging stations chose ChargePoint hardware for the indoor bays (due to their maintenance network) and ABB Terra DC fast chargers for four priority bays requiring rapid top-ups between delivery windows. Both manufacturers support OCPP 1.6. By connecting both hardware types to a single CPMS (Driivz), the fleet manager has one dashboard showing all 44 connectors, unified session data, and centralized smart charging controls. The alternative — two separate management portals, two separate billing systems, no cross-charger load balancing — would have required double the administrative overhead and made demand charge management nearly impossible.
Smart Charging Profiles: The OCPP Feature Fleet Operators Underuse
OCPP smart charging profiles allow a CPMS to instruct each charger on exactly how much power to deliver and when. A composite charging profile can specify: maximum 7.2 kW (Level 2) from 10 PM to 6 AM (off-peak), maximum 0 kW from 4 PM to 7 PM (on-peak demand window), and priority override for vehicles departing before 5 AM. This profile-based approach is how sophisticated fleet operators reduce demand charges — which can represent 30–50% of a commercial electricity bill — without requiring vehicles to sit uncharged. Many fleet operators who have OCPP-capable chargers never configure charging profiles, leaving significant energy cost savings on the table.
- Require OCPP 1.6 minimum for any new charger purchase; target OCPP 2.0.1 for installations planned for 5+ year operation
- Verify the specific OCPP version and profile types supported — not all chargers implement every OCPP feature
- Confirm the CPMS vendor supports the same OCPP version as your charger hardware
- Test remote start/stop and charging profile functionality before full deployment
- Ask whether local authorization is supported (offline charging when server is unreachable)
- Request OCPP conformance test results — some vendors claim OCPP compliance but have incomplete implementations
- Ensure smart charging profile configuration is accessible to fleet managers, not just vendor technicians
- Confirm transaction records export (kWh, cost, vehicle ID) to your ERP or fleet platform via API