Plug&Charge: CharIn launches new API protocol OPNC for global standardisation
As is well known, numerous industry players have organised themselves in the CharIN association to promote the Combined Charging System (CCS) and the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) worldwide. In addition to these main strands of charging, the association is also involved in the standardisation of a number of functions – such as Plug&Charge.
As is well known, the Plug&Charge function enables automated communication and billing processes between electric vehicles and chargers. Based on the ISO 15118 standard, special electronic ‘keys’ in the form of digital certificates are exchanged between the vehicle and the charging station instead of cards or apps. CharIN has developed a procedure for this, the so-called CharIN PKI (‘Public Key Infrastructure’). The Plug&Charge certificates are accessed and managed via open and globally standardised APIs based on the aforementioned OPNC protocol (Open Plug&Charge Protocol).
This is where CharIN comes into play once again. The association is now presenting the final version of the new protocol. According to CharIN, it is an extension for the global use of the existing OPCP protocol and is also compatible with the PNCP protocol. The latter was introduced by the French roaming platform Gireve 2023. The dilemma: until now, plug & charge providers have not used a common protocol. According to CharIN, the specification of the OPNC protocol that has now been published should be the first milestone on the way to global standardisation.
“Characterized by an open and international framework, this aligned protocol ensures a frictionless and standardized charging experience for EV owners worldwide by facilitating the interoperability between the individual stakeholders and the PKI ecosystems,” the Charin wrote in an accompanying press release. It will meet the new requirements of the market, “In particular supporting multiple PKIs in the charging ecosystem and addressing requirements coming from the North American market.” CharIN emphasises that OPNC “can be considered as the next-generation API protocol globally with backward compatibility to existing protocols.”
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