OICP protocol provides a structured way for different participants in the EV charging ecosystem to interact and share necessary information to enable smooth EV charging.
Table of contents
What Is OICP Protocol
Open Intercharge Protocol (OICP) is an open eroaming standard developed by Hubject.
It connects 1000+ companies in 52 nations, making EV charging easy and seamless for all users.
Understanding Hubject
Hubject connects users to numerous e-mobility partners, granting all EV drivers access to thousands of charging stations, regardless of their location.
Origin of Hubject: Established in 2012 by German automotive and energy giants like BMW, Mercedes, VW, Daimler, and Bosch, with a focus on simplifying EV charging interoperability.
Overall, Hubject is a key company in the European EV market, offering a unified and open e-roaming network called Intercharge.
Acting as a hub, Hubject connects diverse players in the EV ecosystem, especially Charge Point Operators and E-Mobility Service Providers.
Loading ...📖 Learn the key differences between CPOs and EMSPs.
Hubject has gained popularity by providing the opportunity to communicate with many market players at a relatively low cost.
Partners such as Electrify America, Virta, and Porsche have integrated with Hubject via OICP, highlighting its widespread acceptance and popularity.
Hubject appreciates partners who share the mission to establish eMobility as the socially desired, contemporary, and emission-free form of transport.
-Christian Hahn, CEO of Hubject
OICP Example (In Practice)
OICP protocol offers various services between CPOs and EMSPs, emphasizing clustering in hubs.
This is the list of the most common functionalities:
- Roaming via Hub: Connects CPO and eMSP systems through Hubject’s B2B Service Platform
- Ad Hoc Payment: Offers’ Intercharge direct’ for contractless EV owner charging
- Authorization: Manages authorization for charge sessions
- Reservation: Allows EV owners to reserve charge points via eMSP apps
- EV Charging Billing: Records and transfers charge session data for invoicing
- Charge Point Information: Shares essential charge point data between CPOs and eMSPs
- Real-Time Charge Point Information: Provides dynamic availability and tariff data
- Session Information: Records session details like IDs, times, and meter values
- Remote Start/Stop: Enables remote operation of charging sessions from eMSP applications
OICP Services
This section highlights the services offered through the Open Intercharge Protocol from the viewpoints of Charge Point Operators and E-Mobility Service Providers.
Intercharge for CPOs
CPOs own the EV charging infrastructure and aim to maximize customer exposure through the e-roaming network.
OICP enables them to offer their infrastructure to customers with valid contracts with an EMSP within the Hubject network.
From the perspective of a CPO, services encompass authorization procedures reservation services, as well as the data from and hardware and software components crucial for delivering electrical energy to electric vehicles, like status updates, dynamic pricing, and charging notifications.
Intercharge for EMSPs
On the other side, EMSPs offer access to extensive public charging infrastructure to their customers, communicating with available charging stations within the Hubject network.
The protocol provides dedicated service interfaces for CPOs and EMSPs, ensuring seamless operations.
For EMPs, an additional authentication data service is available, facilitating offline EMP operations.
Smart EV Charging: Unlocking Its Full Potential
Key Notes:
OICP forces CPOs and EMSPs to be compatible with the business processes defined by Hubject.
Once you become a part of Hubject, you automatically join the network. For instance, as a CPO, you set a charging tariff that all EMSPs within the hub will use.
Bonus: However, you can strike an extra deal regarding the tariff with an EMSP separately.
OICP Versions
Currently, there are two versions of the OICP protocol:
- OICP 2.2.
- OICP 2.3.
The latest version to date is OICP 2.3.
OICP version 2.1 was retired on 13. April 2023.
In fact, each OICP service is versioned independently, and Hubject supports each new version for at least two years.
All new implementations are advised to use the latest OICP version, which is OICP 2.3.
Conclusion
Hubject aims for a hassle-free charging experience for everyone, with ‘Plug & Charge‘ based on the open standard ISO15118.
Tridens EV Charge is certified for Charge Point Protocols (OCPP 1.6 J & OCPP 2.01) and compliant with ISO 15118, enabling vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities.
