FAQ

The Open Charge Alliance (OCA) is a non-profit organization of EV charging hardware and software vendors and charging network operators and service providers. OCA’s mission is to foster global development, adoption, and compliance of the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) and related standards through collaboration, education and testing.

In 2009, ElaadNL started OCPP, the Open Charge Point Protocol. ElaadNL, the non-profit organization founded by the Dutch Distribution System Operators (DSOs), was aiming to install 10.000 charging stations in the Netherlands and wanted to procure these from different vendors. Therefore, ElaadNL asked this emerging market for a standard way of exchanging information. Since no such standard yet existed, ElaadNL took the initiative to create one and began developing OCPP. To learn more about the history of OCPP and OCA, please check the Discover our history page.

The Open Charge Alliance is an industry alliance governed by the OCA Board. The Board consists of five companies that represent all OCA members. Click here to learn more about the OCA board. The Board is responsible for the annual plan and budget, establishing or ending working and task groups, and defining the overall strategy.

The Open Charge Alliance (OCA) is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open standards in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Its primary focus is the development, adoption, and compliance of the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). Through collaboration, education, testing, and certification, OCA aims to ensure interoperability and foster innovation in the EV charging industry.

The Open Charge Alliance is located at the following address: Westervoortsedijk 73, Building KB, 6827 AV Arnhem, The Netherlands .

The postal address is Postbus 882, 6800 AW Arnhem.  

OCA is open to every organization that is interested in the development of OCPP. The OCA community represents a wide range of industries and perspectives. It includes manufacturers of Charging Station and Charging Station Management System, grid operators, vehicle manufacturers, software providers and testing labs. From major global corporations to local start-ups, our participants bring diverse expertise and shared commitment to OCA. The list of OCA participants can be found here.

To become a member of the Open Charge Alliance (OCA), click the “Join Us” button. You’ll be redirected to our support portal, where you can complete the membership application. Be sure to fill out all required fields, sign the necessary documents, and upload all requested forms to ensure a smooth application process. This includes: 

• OCA Questionnaire 
• Rules of the OCA  
• Participants Agreement  
• Recent annual revenue report  

As an OCA member, you gain access to a range of valuable benefits that support your technical development, industry visibility, and collaboration opportunities. These include:

• Work on specific topics via focused working groups and task groups dedicated to improving OCPP and related standards.
• Influence over OCPP development by contributing to current and future specifications in the Technical Working Group.
• Help shape the certification process through participation in the Compliance Working Group.
• Discounts on certification and test tool purchases, reducing the cost of implementation and testing.
• Increased visibility through a company profile on the OCA website.
• Direct access to technical experts, including OCA’s editors and fellow members, for support and peer discussion.
• Gain practical insights: join a community that shares experiences and challenges from across the EV industry, helping you stay informed and identify potential opportunities. 

The OCA Membership categories and annual fees can be found in this link.

OCA currently has the following active working groups:

• A: Technology Working Group (TWG):
  This group discusses questions, comments, and new developments related to the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP).
• Compliance Working Group (CWG):
  This group focuses on the OCPP Compliance Testing Tool (OCTT) and the certification program. The OCTT enables private testing for both the Charging Station Management System and the Charging Station side. The certification program is available for OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1.

To participate in a working group, log in to Causeway, navigate to Home → View Groups, and click the “Join” button next to the group you’d like to join.

Yes, OCA organizes a variety of events to support collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation in the EV charging industry. These include:

• OCPP Plugfests – hands-on testing events where vendors can validate interoperability between Charging Stations and Charging Station Management Systems.
• Conferences – bringing together industry experts to discuss developments in open standards, policy, and EV infrastructure.
• Webinars – covering technical updates, best practices, and upcoming standards.
• Member-only events – including updates on OCA activities, working group sessions, and networking opportunities.

These events give members and stakeholders the chance to contribute to the constant development of OCPP and stay engaged with the global EV charging industry.

Once your membership application has been approved, a company profile page will be created on the OCA website. The designated admin user can edit this page by adding your company logo, website link, and a short company description.

To update your profile:

1. Activate your account by following the instructions in the welcome email.
2. Log in and navigate to the Company Profile
3. Enter or update your company information.

If you haven’t received the welcome email or need assistance, feel free to contact the OCA support team via info@openchargealliance.org.

If you decide to stop your membership, you can do so after 24 months of being a member. A membership can be terminated by e-mail, addressed to info@openchargealliance.org. The termination becomes effective on the 1st of January of the following year. Termination does not result in any reimbursement of participant fees paid to OCA. For more information, please check the ‘OCA Policies and Procedures’ below the participation fee table.

OCPP is an open protocol that enables communication between electric vehicle (EV) Charging Stations and Charging Station Management Systems. Developed and maintained by OCA, it ensures interoperability across different hardware and software platforms.

OCPP supports key features such as smart charging, load balancing, secure data exchange, and remote management, allowing network operators to build scalable and future-proof EV charging solutions. It is widely adopted around the world and serves as the global standard for open EV charging communication.

Yes, OCPP is freely available for everyone to download. You can download the OCPP by following this link.

For technical questions regarding the OCTT, please fill your question in this support portal.

For technical question regarding the OCPP spec or implementation please fill your question on the discussion section of the Technical Working Group at our memberplatform.

The Open Charge Alliance (OCA) currently supports two official versions of the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP):

• OCPP 1.6 – Released in 2015, this version introduced Smart Charging, enhanced diagnostics, and support for both SOAP and JSON over WebSocket. It is still widely used and supported by OCA.
• OCPP 2.0.1 – Released in 2020, this version includes advanced features such as native support for ISO 15118 Plug & Charge, a flexible device model, improved transaction handling, and better security. It is not backward compatible with OCPP 1.6.
• OCPP 2.1 – Released in January 2025, this version builds on 2.0.1 and it is backward compatible with OCPP 2.0.1. It adds support for ISO 15118-20 with bidirectional power transfer, a new functional block on Bidirectional Charging, a new functional block on DER Control, Battery Swapping and new authorization options.

OCA provides official Compliance Testing Tools for both OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1 (OCTT 2, released in 2023).

Earlier versions, such as OCPP 1.5 and OCPP 2.0, are no longer actively supported.

The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) has evolved over time to support new functionalities and industry requirements:

OCPP 1.6 (2015):

Introduced basic Smart Charging, supported SOAP and JSON over WebSocket, and became widely adopted across global networks. Optional security features are available through extensions.

OCPP 2.0.1 (2020):

Offers a more advanced and secure framework, including a full device model, Plug & Charge support (ISO 15118), improved transaction handling, and enhanced Smart Charging capabilities. Uses JSON over WebSocket only.

OCPP 2.1 (2025):

Builds on 2.0.1 and remains backward compatible. Adds support for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Distributed Energy Resource (DER) control, battery swapping, and standardized payment terminal integration. Certification details to be announced.

Each version brings expanded features to improve interoperability, flexibility, and future readiness in EV charging infrastructure.

OCPP 2.0 made its first appearance in 2018 as the successor to OCPP 1.6. However, OCA, in collaboration with the community, decided that version 2.0 would benefit from additional features. Thanks to the hard work of both the OCA team and the community, OCPP 2.0.1 was introduced in 2020 and is on its way to replacing OCPP 1.6 as the new industry standard for communication between the CS and CSMS.

OCPP 2.0.1 has the following improved/added functionalities in comparison to OCPP 1.6:

• Device Management Features to get and set configurations and also to monitor a Charging Station.
• Improved transaction handling
• Added security
• Added smart charging functionalities
• Support for ISO 15118
• Display and messaging support

• Many additional improvements requested by the EV charging community 

Note that OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1 are not compatible. OCPP 2.0.1 ed3 was approved as an IEC standard (IEC63584) in 2024.

OCPP 2.1 builds on OCPP 2.0.1 and introduces advanced features to support smarter, more flexible, and future-ready EV charging. Key features include:

• Support for ISO 15118-20, including bidirectional power transfer (V2X)
• DER control for integration with distributed energy resources
• Improved Smart Charging and advanced transaction handling
• Support for battery swapping, especially for 2- and 3-wheelers
• Local cost calculation at the charging station
• Expanded payment options, including prepaid cards, ad hoc credit/debit payments, and secure dynamic QR codes
• Enhanced authorization options and transaction flexibility
• Backward compatibility with OCPP 2.0.1

OCPP 2.1 reflects input from the global OCA community and is designed to meet the evolving needs of the EV charging industry.

Actively managed by OCA

OCPP: OCA developed and continously improves OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol).

Not actively managed by OCA

OSCP: At this time, OSCP (Open Smart Charging Protocol) is not being actively managed nor developed within OCA. However, if you have any questions regarding OSCP, please feel free to contact us.

OCPI: OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface) is not managed by OCA. OCPI is managed by the EVRoaming Foundation.

The Open Charge Alliance only provides the OCPP protocol specification, we do not provide any software libraries.

For OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1 we provide a test tool that you can use for testing your implementation. This tool is also used for the certification program. If you would like more information about buying this tool, please click on this link.

A charging station with OCPP implementation offers EV drivers greater flexibility and reliability. As OCPP is an open communication protocol, it enables interoperability between different charging stations and network operators. This means that drivers are not limited to one provider and can use a wider range of charging infrastructure. OCPP also allows for the integration of advanced functionalities, such as smart charging, remote diagnostics, and improved payment options, depending on what is supported by the charging station and its backend system. In general, open standards like OCPP promote innovation and competition, which ultimately lead to better services and a more seamless charging experience for the end user. 

OCPP works for any managed Charging Station. Depending on the needs of the end user, not all functionality might be implemented. For households functionalities such as firmware management (providing updates), remote control (e.g. via an app) or smart charging functionality might be used.

The certification program is a joint effort of the Open Charge Alliance and several independent test laboratories around the world to test OCPP for conformance with the OCPP specification. Every company involved with an OCPP implementation can get an official independent OCPP Certificate. This OCPP Certification Program gives companies the opportunity to validate their OCPP implementation on conformance with the OCPP 2.0.1 or 1.6 specification. Check the OCPP Certification program page to learn more.

OCPP certification is a formal process managed by OCA to verify that a product correctly implements the OCPP specification. Manufacturers submit their product to an OCA-approved test lab, where it is tested using the official Compliance Testing Tool (OCTT). If the product passes, it receives an official certificate and is listed on the OCA website as certified for a specific OCPP version. This ensures interoperability and builds trust in the EV charging industry.

Watch the video tutorial

The video tutorial guides you through the OCPP Certification Program, including the newly added option to certify product family members.

The list of certified companies is available on the website. Please refer to the following link.

For certification of an OCPP product family, one product must be certified by an OCA designated lab, as a normal certification. This one product has to be the “representative product”: the product with the most extended set of features. The test laboratory will only test the representative product. As a vendor, it is your task to declare conformance of the family members. This is done by providing a Vendor Declaration of Conformance Report to the test lab. For more information, please check the Certification page. 

OCTT is the Compliance Test tool for OCPP implementers to test their devices on protocol conformity. With this tool you can test your OCPP 2.0.1 and OCPP 1.6 implementation and check if you have implemented the OCPP specification correctly.  

OCTT is a platform for testing OCPP implementations of a Charging Station Management System (CSMS), a Charging Station (CS) or a Charging Station Software Stack (CSSS). It supports OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0.1. The current OCTT was launched in October 2022. OCTT users run more than 50.000 test runs per month. 

Hosted by the Open Charge Alliance, OCTT is a cloud-based solution. It is available as a subscription service with a web-based interface for testing OCPP implementations for your organization’s internal use. With OCTT, you can quickly identify and resolve potential issues. 

Yes, the list can be found in appendix C of the OCPP Test Procedure & Test Plans, which is part of the Certification documentation.

No, the OCTT does not generate a certificate. OCTT is used by independent OCA-approved test labs to perform conformance testing. Certificates are only provided after completing the OCPP Certification Program. 

What the OCTT does generate, is a Vendor Declaration of Conformance Report – or VDCR. This is a conformance test report. A Vendor Declaration of Conformance is required for adding a product family member to an OCPP certificate. For more information, please check the Certification page.