EV Initiative’s mission is to Enable the Next Generation, which is why we're excited to employ OCPP 2.0.1 (Open Charge Point Protocol) throughout the EVI Charging Network. Are you ready for the future?

Because of its complexity and lack of backward compatibility with OCPP 1.6, version 1.6 is now the version that is most commonly used in the market. As a result, adoption of version 2.0.1 is currently progressing relatively slowly compared to other elements of the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry. However, this will change rather quickly as we get closer to 2025 and beyond.

At the same time, Plug and Charge has finally entered the market with an increasing number of EVs in both the middle-class and premium segments such as the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron, VW ID.4 and ID.5, Hyundai Ioniq5, Kia EV6, and more... it is becoming the standard.

With compatible vehicles now on the roads, several EV charger manufacturers and Charge Port Management Software (CPMS) discovered a temporary workaround and began integrating OCPP 2.0.1 features into the 1.6 protocol in response to recent calls for more robust cybersecurity as policies have begun requesting for OCPP 2.0.1 capability. The workaround is achieved by sending a special message that is vendor-specific in addition to the general message DataTransfer. The only difficulty with this technique is that if the EV chargers and CPMS don't agree on the exact same usage of those backported DataTransfer messages, we soon run into interoperability problems.

The Open Charge Alliance concluded that providing instructions on how to activate OCPP 1.6 for Plug and Charge and the cybersecurity capabilities added in OCPP 2.0.1 would better serve the industry. An application note titled "Using ISO 15118 Plug & Charge with OCPP 1.6" is the end result. However, it is very apparent that businesses must update to OCPP 2.0.1 to utilize the ISO 15118 Smart Charging capability.

The OCA released a white paper titled "Improved Security for OCPP 1.6J" that might be utilized in combination with the application notice already indicated. The authors state that "it does not result in the most sophisticated solution. [...] Therefore, 

OCPP 2.0.1 is highly recommended for implementers who want to implement both OCPP security and ISO 15118 Plug & Charge.

Given this unequivocal statement from the OCPP standard writers and the OCA's clarification that the V2X extensions are only intended for OCPP 2.0.1 and OCPP 2.1, there isn't really a good reason not to choose for the more long-term-oriented option.

Additionally, implementing the OCPP 1.6 application note for Plug and Charge with the OCPP 1.6J security white paper requires about as much work as implementing OCPP 2.0.1.

OCPP 2.x has so many benefits and is the future of EV charging, why keep squandering money on inadequate solutions?

EV Initiative is OCPP 2.x 

As the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, so does the need for convenient and reliable charging stations. If you are planning to run a public network of EV charging stations, one of the most important tools you will need is a reliable management software.

But with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to know what to look for. Here are five key features to consider when choosing an EV charging station management software:

 A good management software should allow you to monitor and control your charging stations in real-time. This includes the ability to see which stations are in use, what the charging status is, and how much energy has been used. With real-time monitoring, you can quickly respond to any issues or problems that may arise, ensuring a smooth and reliable charging experience for your customers.

 Most EV charging stations will require customers to pay for the energy they use. A good management software should include a payment processing system that is easy to use and secure. Look for software that offers multiple payment options, such as credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments.

 A good management software should also include tools for managing customer accounts and interactions. This may include features such as the ability to create and manage customer profiles, track charging history, and send notifications or alerts to customers.

 To effectively manage and grow your EV charging network, you will need access to detailed reports and analytics. Look for software that offers a range of reporting and analytics tools, such as the ability to track usage and revenue by location, track customer behavior, and generate custom reports.

Finally, consider whether the management software you choose can easily integrate with other systems you may be using, such as your billing or accounting software. This will help streamline your operations and make it easier to manage your charging network.

Choosing the right EV charging station management software is crucial for running a successful public network of charging stations. By considering these five key features, you can ensure that you have the tools and capabilities you need to manage and grow your business.

5 Key Features to Look for in EV Charging Station Management Software

EV Initiative Inc. and WB Electric, are proud to announce the formation of a partnership to distribute, operate and manage EV Charging stations in Eastern Pennsylvania. The partnership is focused on bringing to market and creating a network of level 2 and level 3 EV chargers by targeting residential, commercial, and fleet customers across the Northeastern part of Pennsylvania. An EV charging station has been set up at the offices WB Electric as a demonstration unit, and new projects are being planned and implemented quickly.

WB Electric is one of the most successful electrical contractors in Northeastern PA, with more than 25 years of experience of servicing large commercial clients and high-quality home builders.The company is a leader in designing, implementing, and servicing renewable energy products including Solar Electric, Solar Thermal and Electric Vehicle charging solutions.

EV Initiative Inc. is a dynamic Startup founded in 2019 with offices in Toronto, Canada, and Sacramento, California. EVI manages a network of EV charging stations across North America and is initial stages to expand to the Caribbean region and Europe. The company is led by 3 partners who bring together over 10 years of knowledge and experience in the EV charging industry.

With $5 billion set aside by Congress to support the creation of a modern and dynamic EV charging network across the United States, Pennsylvania is quickly moving to meet the goal of having 50% of all vehicles sold in the U.S. be electric by 2030. EVI and WB Electric are strategically positioned to assist in this transformation and look forward of working with all perspective customers.

WB Electric In Pennsylvania Partners With EV Initiative Inc

EV Initiative Inc. and Brava Electric & Telecom, Inc. are proud to announce the formation of a partnership to distribute, operate and manage EV Charging stations in the greater Boston area. The partnership is focused on bringing to market and creating a network of level 2 and level 3 EV chargers by targeting residential, commercial and fleet customers across the greater Boston area and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

Brava Electric & Telecom, Inc. is a full-service electrical contractor serving Commercial, Residential, and Electrical Service/Maintenance clients throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For more than 15 years, Brava Electric has focused on quality workmanship, professionalism, and a customer-first attitude in order to succeed on its projects.

EV Initiative Inc. is a dynamic Startup founded in 2019 with offices in Toronto, Canada, and Sacramento, California. EVI manages a network of EV charging stations across North America and is in its initial stages to expand to the Caribbean region and Europe. The company is led by 3 partners who bring together over 10 years of knowledge and experience in the EV charging industry.

Brava Electric Boston Partners With EV Initiative Inc

You are interested in electric vehicle charging and want to make the most of the potential for your network. You've heard about OCPP 2.0 and want to know more about what it can do for you.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at OCPP 2.0 and what makes it so special. We'll also explore some of the ways that OCPP 2.0 can help you unlock the full potential of your charging network. So, if you're ready, let's step into the future and see what OCPP 2.0 has in store for us.

The EV Software Industry is about to get pwned.

The honest truth is that the software companies that built their architecture from the OCPP 1.6J spec are going to have such high switching cost to rewrite their entire software architecture for entirely new OCPP 2.0.1 spec.

I can attest to witnessing the growth of many OCPP 1.6J EV charging software companies which are now powering the early American EV charging infrastructure, since 2018.

The early-mover advantage was and still is getting as many plugs online as possible. Enable EV drivers to charge, grow the company, grow the industry.

Now that EV (and subsequent charging) market have been introduced. The North American charging market was built on OCPP1.6J and it’s a complete architecture rewrite to support OCPP 2.x.

EV charging infrastructure is young in the Americas, now that the OCPP 2.x spec is being implemented by hardware manufactures in their firmware, OCPP 2.x will steadily develop into the future. Supporting the infrastructure that will enable 

You may be using OCPP 1.6J for your current charging network, but that's about to change. OCPP 2.0 is out, and it's already defeated OCPP 1.6J in head-to-head comparisons.

What does that mean for you? Well, OCPP 2.0 is faster, more reliable, and easier to use. It also offers levels of more security and was built to support ISO 15118 (Plug-and-Charge). OCPP 2.x enables new levels of device control by the cloud that are not possible with OCPP 1.x… In other words, it's the future of EV charging networks.

If you're not using OCPP 2.0 yet, now is the time to make the switch as we’re still in the early days. Investing into future-ready infrastructure will carry your operations beyond the 2030’s.

OCPP 1.x is a standard that was released in 2009, and it's been used extensively in the EV charging market since then. But with the rise of OCPP 2.0, it's time to move on to a better standard.

What makes OCPP 2.x different? For starters, it's much more reliable. OCPP 2.x has been designed for the modern age and incorporates advancements in technology that simply weren't possible when OCPP 1.x was released. Additionally, it's much more scalable, meaning that it can handle a much larger number of chargers than the older standard.

This makes it the ideal choice for operators of large charging networks, who need a standard that can handle high demand and grow with their business. OCPP 2.x also offers more flexibility, allowing for a wider range of charging scenarios and use cases.

With all these advantages, it's no wonder that OCPP 2.0 is quickly becoming the new standard for EV charging networks.

OCPP 2.0 is the future of electric vehicle charging networks for two main reasons:

First, it's based on the ISO 15118 standard, which is the international standard for EV charging networks. This means that it's interoperable with all charge point manufacturers, making it easy to integrate new charge points into your network.

Second, OCPP 2.0 offers a lot of new features and benefits that weren't available in OCPP 1.6J. These include support for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) services, integration with renewable and energy storage sources, and interoperability with other networks and services.

This means that EV Initiative can offer customers a wider range of services and features, such as charging while parked or remotely controlling charge point operations. 

Using WebSockets for Real-Time Communication

As WebSockets make real-time communication much faster than traditional HTTP, they are used in OCPP 2.0 to send and receive instructions between the Central System and the Charge Station. This enables real-time control over each station, allowing for more precise restrictions on charging sessions and payment methods, as well as enabling the collection of data on its use.

WebSockets also make it easier to keep track of usage for financial or billing purposes - such as automatically distributing payments for charging between different users - and can provide more detailed analytics than with OCPP 1.6J, which relied on scheduled communication between the Central System and Charge Station. This can be especially valuable when it comes to targeting maintenance or detecting fraud attempts on your charging network.

Paving a Path for Secure Electronic Transactions

OCPP 2.0.1 offers a secure path for electronic transactions, allowing EV Initiative and EV drivers to safely interact with charging infrastructure powered by The EVI Charging Network. The protocol ensures that all components used are genuine and valid and provides data encryption so that no one can intercept the information sent between parties.

The protocol is also designed to protect user credentials, ensuring that only legitimate users can access the network and confirming that the person making a payment has the right to do so. This prevents fraudulent activity and chargeback claims, meaning EV Initiative can operate our charging stations with confidence.

Finally, the OCPP 2.x spec on The EVI Charging Network also allows for flexible payment options, enabling operators to offer Pay-As-You-Go or subscription-based billing models - giving fleets, building owners and operators more options for how they charge electric vehicles.

What Does OCPP 2.0 Mean for The EVI Charging Network?

OCPP 2.0 is a major advancement from the OCPP 1.6J protocol, which means charge point operators like EV Initiative will now have a lot more features and functions at our disposal. One of the main benefits of the new version is that it will make EV charging easier to manage and more efficient for both drivers and operators.

For example, OCPP 2.0 now supports remote start and stop of charging sessions, meaning that users can trigger a session via their connected app, or operators can remotely manage/monitor sessions in real-time through the charge port management software.

Moreover, OCPP 2.0 features integrated pricing models such as hourly tariffs or flat rates that are configurable on a per-user basis, which gives operators more flexibility when it comes to differentiating pricing for different user types (corporate fleets, building owners and operators).

Finally, users get access to more detailed usage data with OCPP 2.0 -– drivers can view information about their previous charging sessions such as duration, energy consumption and cost – providing them with an improved user experience that encourages return visits. For fleets in particular this data provides invaluable insight into charging habits and efficiency levels which can be used to improve operational efficiency even further.

EV Initiative as an eMobility Service Provider is proud to be OCPP 2.x.

This version is a huge leap forward, and overcomes the limitations of OCPP 1.6. It has been specifically designed to meet the needs of charge port operators, and provides the flexibility and scalability required to manage large, complex networks.

We are confident that OCPP 2.x will play a major role in the future of EV Charging, and EV Initiative looks forward to working with our partners to make it a success within our marketplace.

OCPP 2.x, Enabling the Next Generation

EV Initiative Inc is proud to announce its partnership with Intralec Electrical Products Ltd., a leading provider of electrical products and solutions. Together, the two companies will bring the latest EV charging hardware and software to the Ontario market, further fueling the growth of electric vehicle adoption in the province.

EV Initiative Inc, a company dedicated to the advancement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, has been at the forefront of the EV movement in Ontario. The company's mission is to promote the widespread adoption of electric vehicles by making charging infrastructure more accessible, reliable, and cost-effective.

Intralec Electrical Products Ltd., with its wide range of electrical products and solutions, is a natural fit for EV Initiative Inc.'s mission. The company's expertise in electrical products and systems will be an asset in the development of EV charging stations that are both efficient and user-friendly.

"We are thrilled to partner with Intralec Electrical Products Ltd.," said Aaron Zeraldo, CEO of EV Initiative Inc. "Their experience and knowledge in electrical products will be invaluable in our mission to bring the most advanced EV charging hardware and software to the Ontario market."


For more information about EV Initiative Inc. and Intralec Electrical Products Ltd., please visit their websites. Media inquiries may be directed to email address listed below: 

EV Initiative Inc. is located at 3080 Yonge Street Suite #6060 Toronto, Ontario M4N 3N1.

Intralec Electrical Products Ltd. At 1200 Cardiff Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5S 1P6, Canada.

EV Initiative Inc Partners with Intralec Electrical Products Ltd. to Bring Cutting-Edge EV Charging Hardware and Software to Ontario Market

To get a sense of the trajectory of the North American EV Market, one should only look at the success that Norway has recently achieved converting its auto fleet to Electric. Supported with generous government subsidies, Norway, one of the largest global petroleum and gas producers, currently boasts 80% of all new vehicle registrations as being electric.

A recent article by AFP has indicated that today one in five cars on Norwegian roads are already Electric. It took 10 years for the Electric fleet to reach 10% of the market, but less than 3 years to reach 20%. Furthermore, the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association is projecting that EV share of the market will reach 30% in less than 2 years.

Therefore, it is no surprise, that as automobile manufacturers constantly introduce new EV models, Norway has a strong chance of succeeding in its plan to transition to zero emissions by 2025 even with the planned reduction in government subsidies.

EV Initiative Inc is an EV charging network operator focusing on expanding a dynamic network of smart chargers across North America, and Internationally.

EV Initiative Blog

EV Initiative is OCPP 2.x

Warren Navarro

5 Key Features to Look for in EV Charging Station Management Software

Aaron Zeraldo

WB Electric In Pennsylvania Partners With EV Initiative Inc

Aaron Zeraldo

Brava Electric Boston Partners With EV Initiative Inc

Aaron Zeraldo

OCPP 2.x, Enabling the Next Generation

Warren Navarro

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