CharIN e.V. and The Open Charge Alliance sign MOU

The global community is grappling with the adverse impacts of high pollution and rising CO2 emissions, leading to global warming and climate change. In response to these challenges, international treaties such as the Paris Climate Agreement have brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including industry, politics, and science, to collaborate on reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable transportation solutions. Many countries across Asia, Europe, and America are already committed to becoming carbon emission-free, making the transformation of the mobility sector imperative for a sustainable future.

CharIN EV and the OCA recognize the need for a collective effort and intelligent interaction among global stakeholders to address these challenges. E-mobility, particularly in urban areas, is identified as a key component of the ongoing transformation in the mobility concept. Through this MOU, both parties aim to build a mutually beneficial relationship that enhances their respective strategic priorities, with a primary focus on collaboration in information exchange and technical training, specifically in the area of charging infrastructure.

The key areas of collaboration outlined in the MOU include:

1. Knowledge Exchange on General EV Charging: Both parties will exchange views and ways of working on CharIN (Charging Interface Initiative) and OCA (Open Charge Alliance), covering aspects such as certification programs, global representation, feature development roadmap, and guidelines.
2. OCPP & ISO15118: The collaboration will involve the exchange of information, promotion, and education on OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) and ISO 15118, with the aim of advancing these protocols globally.
3. Conformance Test: Both parties will jointly promote the value of conformance testing and certification to ensure interoperability and compliance with industry standards.
4. Testivals: OCA and CharIN will explore opportunities to co-locate or co-organize CharIN Testivals and OCPP plugfests. Additionally, they will develop an end-to-end interoperability communication test approach, including ISO 15118 and OCPP.
5. Education and Promotion: Education and promoting the use of the combination of protocols ISO 15118 and OCPP through the publication of whitepapers and organization of webinars will be a prime focus of the collaboration.
6. Joint Demonstrations: Joint demonstrations of the combination of protocols ISO 15118 and OCPP, such as V2X using ISO 15118-20 and OCPP2.1 (and Utility Control signals), will be organized to showcase the practical application and benefits of these protocols.
7. Market Experiences and Technology Developments: Both parties will inform on market experiences and technology developments globally, with a focus on regions where OCPP, ISO 15118, or both are gaining traction, such as India and Japan.
8. Support for Open and Free Market: Both parties commit to cooperating to support an open and free market and advocate for the IP-free use of standards.
9. Alignment on Future Positions: The collaboration will involve regular communication to inform and align on future positions of CharIN and OCA on technology, regulation, and legislation.

Through this MOU, CharIN and the members of the OCA are poised to make significant strides in advancing the global e-mobility agenda, promoting sustainable practices, and contributing to a cleaner and greener future.