A charging network is a long-term asset. Over its life, you may want to change charge point management software, add chargers from another manufacturer, connect to new roaming partners or switch maintenance providers. Open standards decide whether those changes are simple or impossible.
What vendor lock-in looks like
- Chargers that only work with one manufacturer's software.
- Data about your own sessions and customers that you cannot export.
- Price increases you cannot avoid, because switching means replacing hardware.
- No path to new features unless the original vendor provides them.
The open standards that matter
| Standard | What it connects |
|---|---|
| OCPP | Chargers to the management platform |
| OCPI | Networks to roaming partners and driver apps |
| ISO 15118 | Vehicles to chargers, enabling Plug and Charge and future smart charging |
OCPP is the most important for avoiding lock-in. A charger that supports OCPP can, in principle, be moved to any OCPP-compliant management platform. Newer versions add security features and better smart charging.
Ask for proof, not just a claim. Request certification or test results for the OCPP version and features a charger supports, and test the integration before buying at scale.
Questions to ask suppliers
- Which OCPP version and feature profiles are supported, and is the charger certified?
- Can the charger be pointed at a different management platform without the manufacturer's involvement?
- Who owns the session, customer and charger data, and in what format can it be exported?
- Does the platform support OCPI roaming?
- What happens at the end of the contract?
How PxT can help
PxT Energies builds every network on open protocols, so you keep control of your hardware, software and data. See also why roaming and interoperability matter.