EV chargers with OCPP: the brands in our database

An EV charger with OCPP can talk to any backend that speaks the same protocol, so you choose the software that manages it, and you can change that choice later. A charger without OCPP talks only to its maker's cloud. Plugchoice, a free OCPP backend, keeps a database of chargers with a source for every figure. The table below lists every brand in it whose AC chargers list OCPP.

What OCPP on a charger means

OCPP, the Open Charge Point Protocol, is the open standard of the Open Charge Alliance for the conversation between a charger and the software that manages it: the back office, also called the CSMS or OCPP backend. Over that connection the charger reports its status and every charging session, and the backend starts and stops sessions, checks charge cards, updates firmware and sets how much power the charger may draw.

Because the protocol is open, the backend is not tied to the hardware. You can connect the same charger to an energy supplier's platform, a fleet operator's billing system or a free backend such as Plugchoice, and switch when one stops fitting.

Which OCPP version you need

• OCPP 1.6J is the version almost every charger on the market speaks. The J stands for JSON over a WebSocket. Most backends run on it, including Plugchoice.
• OCPP 2.0.1 adds a device model, stronger security profiles and better smart charging. More new chargers list it, often together with 1.6J.
• OCPP 2.1 builds on 2.0.1 with bidirectional charging and more energy management. Few chargers list it so far.

A charger that lists both 1.6J and 2.0.1 runs one of them at a time, chosen in its configuration. The full message sets are in our OCPP 1.6J reference and OCPP 2.0.1 reference.

Chargers with OCPP, by brand

In our charger database, 263 AC chargers from 80 brands list OCPP. 52 of them also list OCPP 2.0 or later.

A brand that is missing here can still speak OCPP. The list holds what we could check against a public source, such as a datasheet or the maker's own page. Each brand links to its models, with the source of every figure.

The status column shows the best status of the brand's models on Plugchoice. Confirmed means we tested a model with Plugchoice; supported means it connects through standard OCPP. DC fast chargers and every other model are in the charger database.

How to check whether your charger speaks OCPP

1. Look for "OCPP" on the datasheet or the product page, with a version number.
2. Open the charger's configuration, usually in the installer app or the charger's web page. A charger with OCPP has a field for the backend address, a URL that starts with ws:// or wss://, often labelled OCPP server, central system or backend URL.
3. Check the firmware. Some home models talk only to their maker's cloud by default and get OCPP through a firmware update or an installer setting.

With that field you can point the charger at another OCPP backend. How to change your charger's OCPP backend URL walks through it.

Connecting an OCPP charger to Plugchoice

Plugchoice is a free OCPP backend for chargers with OCPP 1.6J, with a web portal and an app, and no fee per charger. You register, enter the Plugchoice WebSocket URL in the charger and it shows up in your account. Smart Charging, such as load balancing on the main fuse or charging on a dynamic tariff, is a paid module per charger.

The Plugchoice OCPP proxy also relays the charger's connection to a back office you already use, for billing or for an energy supplier, so you keep both.

Frequently asked questions

Do all EV chargers support OCPP?

No. Most chargers for businesses and public sites do. Among home chargers, many do, but some only talk to their maker's own cloud, or get OCPP later through firmware.

Is OCPP 1.6J or 2.0.1 better?

OCPP 2.0.1 is newer and more capable, but 1.6J is what nearly every backend and charger speaks today. For a home or business charger, OCPP 1.6J is enough to choose your backend freely.

Can one charger have two back offices?

Not with a direct connection: a charger opens one OCPP connection, to one backend. An OCPP proxy relays that connection, so several back offices can work with the same charger.

Sources

• Open Charge Alliance, Open Charge Point Protocol: the versions and their specifications.
• Plugchoice charger database: every model in the table, with the source and date of each figure.