Open Charge Point Protocol

The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is an application protocol for communication between charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) and a central management system, also known as a charging station network. It is comparable to communication between cell phones and cell phone networks. The original version of OCPP was developed by LogicaCMG and Enexis led by Michel Bayings with Franc Buve, Patrick Rademakers and Joury de Reuver. The first version was released in 2009. The OCPP enables smooth communication between chargers and management platforms, allowing centralized monitoring and load control. OCPP is used by a large number of vendors of EV charging stations and central management systems globally. The latest version, OCPP 2.1, was released in January 2025. This version includes distributed energy resources control and vehicle-to-grid capabilities, and is backwards compatible with OCPP 2.0.1. In late 2024, OCPP 2.0.1 Edition 3 was accepted by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) as IEC standard 63584. OCPP is developed and maintained by the Open Charge Alliance (OCA), a non-profit foundation under Dutch law, headquartered in Arnhem, the Netherlands. It is an open standard, and can be downloaded for free. To contribute to OCPP's development, one must become a member of the Open Charge Alliance.