Why Protocol Standards Are the Unsexy Thing That Actually Matters
EV charging infrastructure gets attention for its hardware — the sleek fast charger, the solar canopy, the battery cabinet. But the protocol running between charger and software platform is what determines whether that hardware can deliver smart charging, participate in grid services, or allow a driver from one network to charge seamlessly on another. OCPP — the Open Charge Point Protocol — is that protocol, and version 2.0.1 is a significant leap over its predecessor.
What Is New in OCPP 2.0.1
Released by the Open Charge Alliance, OCPP 2.0.1 is substantially rewritten from the widely-deployed 1.6 standard. The changes that matter most for Indian operators are:
- Smart Charging 2.0 — composite schedules: The CSMS can now send multi-layer charging schedules that account simultaneously for grid capacity limits, local solar generation, BESS state of charge, and individual vehicle departure times. This is what transforms a charger from a dumb dispenser into a grid-responsive asset.
- Device Model: A standardised schema for reporting charger component health — connector, meter, power electronics — enabling remote diagnostics that don't require a site visit for most faults.
- ISO 15118 Plug & Charge support: The groundwork for certificate-based vehicle authentication, where the car identifies itself to the charger automatically — no RFID card, no app needed.
- Security Profiles 2 & 3: Mandatory TLS 1.2/1.3 with client-certificate authentication, closing the security gaps that left many OCPP 1.6 deployments vulnerable to credential replay attacks.
OCPP 2.0.1 is not backward-compatible at the protocol level, but well-designed CSMS platforms can support both 1.6 and 2.0.1 chargers simultaneously during the transition period. Operators evaluating new charger purchases should require 2.0.1 firmware support as a procurement condition.
The Roaming Connection
OCPP 2.0.1 works in tandem with OCPI 2.2.1 (Open Charge Point Interface) to enable network roaming — where a driver from one operator's network can charge on another's without a separate registration. This is table-stakes functionality in European markets and is beginning to be expected in India as the market matures. EVBooth's CSMS platform is built on OCPP 2.0.1 and OCPI 2.2.1 natively, meaning our charger network is roaming-ready for any partner network that also implements the standard.
For Operators Choosing a Platform
If you are procuring EV charging infrastructure in 2026, the right questions for your CSMS vendor are: does your platform support OCPP 2.0.1's Smart Charging modules? Can you ingest real-time tariff signals and translate them into composite charging schedules? Do you support OCPI for roaming, and with which networks? The answers will determine whether your infrastructure can participate in the next generation of grid services — or whether it will need a costly platform migration in three years.