OICP - Open Intercharge protocol
Seamless communication between different EV charging networks, allowing drivers to use charging stations outside their primary network. Learn about its key components, benefits for both EV drivers and businesses, and future developments in OICP technology.
When drivers plug their EVs in to charge, top up and pay, they do so thanks to a swathe of standardised communications protocols that work in the background to connect hardware and software.
The Open InterCharge Protocol (OICP) is one of those key technologies – it performs a range of digital handshakes that help authenticate and facilitate the flow of data between charge point operators (CPOs), eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs), and drivers when it comes to roaming.
Here’s everything you need to know about the OICP and its role in the wider eMobility ecosystem…
What is the Open InterCharge Protocol (OICP)?
The Open InterCharge Protocol (OICP) is a communications standard developed by Hubject all the way back in 2012, built to enable the data flows that allow drivers to charge on stations outside those provided by their eMobility service provider.
That’s usually referred to as ‘roaming’ in the EV charging space, with the result being that drivers can use chargers on third-party networks. The OICP’s role in this is to ensure that the technology being used at each step of the process is interoperable – or, in other words, that every party is speaking the same language.
- OICP for Charge Point Operators
For CPOs, the OICP allows for a wider customer base, since drivers outside the CPO’s network can stop and charge at their stations.
- OICP for eMobility Service Providers
Likewise, the protocol allows eMobility Service Providers to let their driver customers charge at a broader range of chargers, which makes their service seem inherently further reaching.
Who are the key players in the EV space?
Need some jargon-busting? No problem. While there are a bunch of different bodies, clients, and customers in the EV ecosystem (each with its own confusing acronym), the two that are most relevant for the Open InterCharge Protocol are Charge Point Operators (CPOs), and eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs). Here’s a quick breakdown:
CPO
A CPO is a business that offers charging solutions to drivers. In some cases that’s the owner of publicly-available chargers, like those you’ll find at a service station, but in others a CPO could be the owner of a parking lot, a residential development, or charging provisions for a fleet of enterprise vehicles.
eMSP
The eMSP is the connective tissue between a CPO and the driver. This is the service that manages drivers’ charging apps or accounts and enables them to start, stop and pay for a charging session.
How Does the OICP Work?
The OICP requires that CPOs and eMSPs be signed up for the Hubject Brokering System, which is an eRoaming software platform standard. Hubject describes the HBS as “an open eMobility marketplace, which creates an open synergetic network that everyone profits from in the end.”
When compatible technology interfaces using OICP – like when a roaming EV driver uses a third-party charger – the protocol handles the following tasks:
Data exchange
The OICP exchanges the fundamental information about the charger to the driver’s eMSP. That includes things like location, charger availability, and pricing.
Authentication
OICP enables secure authentication between the driver’s vehicle, their eMSP account information, and that of the CPO
Billing
Charging session data – including the total electricity usage and cost – is communicated between parties, allowing the CPO to charge the eMSP (and ultimately the driver) for the energy used.
Real-time updates
The OICP also allows for real-time updates on charging station status and availability. This allows sites operated by other networks to appear in driver apps designed to help them find nearby chargers.
Ultimately, the protocol acts as a way of brokering deals between CPOs and eMSPs via Hubject’s platform – it ensures parity between software applications so that drivers with accounts outside of a given charging network can be treated the same as any others.
What are the benefits of the OICP?
The Open InterCharge Protocol is mutually beneficial in the EV space since drivers, CPOs, and eMSPs all gain from the added interoperability. Here’s how:
For EV drivers
The number one challenge most EV drivers face is being able to find and access charging infrastructure wherever they go – whether that’s near home, at work, further afield, or even across national borders. Standardising the data exchange between chargers opens up EV roaming opportunities, which for drivers means a huge number of additional chargers at their disposal.
The OICP doesn’t just allow users to charge, though, it also streamlines all the associated parts of the process, like activating a charge and making payments. With interconnected roaming, drivers don’t need additional driver apps, RFID cards, or accounts – they can treat any compatible charger the same. With the right agreements in place, that can often include billing and payments, where drivers’ primary provider handles things as they normally would.
For businesses offering EV charging (CPOs)
The main upshot of OICP integration is that CPOs can reach more drivers and offer their services to a broader audience. In practical terms, that usually means more EVs coming through the door, and a boost in revenue over and above that generated from drivers tied to the CPO’s proprietary eMSP.
That has the added bonus of boosting CPOs’ overall brand visibility and awareness. Their chargers will show up in driver apps, helping EV drivers establish a link between the CPO’s brand and reliable charging.
Other standards in the charging space
The OICP is just one of a bunch of different (but similarly-named) standards that help facilitate more open, interoperable EV charging – and the new features that come alongside them. To name just a few, the OICP sits alongside…
The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP)
This protocol handles communications between the charge point and the charge management system, in order to monitor and control individual charging sessions.
Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI)
The OCPI builds a bridge between the charge management system and other, external software systems like roaming platforms, payment platforms, and eMobility Service Providers.
ISO 15118
ISO 15118’s official title is “Road Vehicles – Vehicle to Grid Communication Interface.” Its purpose is to standardise the way vehicles, charging stations, and the energy grid communicate – in a way that makes charging more convenient, safe, and smart for everyone involved.
The future of OICP
As with any technology standard, the future is all about mass adoption. Hubject’s goal with the OICP is that all manufacturers, CPOs, and eMSPs use it as a basis for cross-collaboration. The good news here is that standards like the OICP don’t stand still – constant iteration and updates mean that things only get smarter. For the key players in the eMobility ecosystem, that means the investment only becomes more worthwhile over time.
In general, the more that eMobility hardware and software work together – and the easier they can communicate – the simpler it becomes to roll out game-changing new features.
It’s thanks to this interoperability, for example, that smart features like Demand Response, Vehicle-to-Grid, and Plug&Charge are made possible. And it’s only through a collaborative approach to technology that EV drivers and CPOs will reach a point where any day-to-day challenges they’ve traditionally faced can be easily overcome.