Overview - IEC 63584-210:2025 (OCPP 2.1)
IEC 63584-210:2025 formalizes the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) version 2.1, the IEC adoption of the industry de facto standard for communications between a Charging Station (EVSE) and a Charging Station Management System (CSMS). OCPP 2.1 is an extension of OCPP 2.0.1: it reuses the 2.0.1 JSON schemas and extends them with optional fields to support new functionality. Most OCPP 2.0.1 application logic remains compatible, with a small number of required changes (for example, the SignCertificateRequest/requestId and VariableMonitoringType/eventNotificationType updates).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Backward compatibility: OCPP 2.1 builds on OCPP 2.0.1 JSON schemas; existing logic will generally continue to work while new features need added application logic.
- Security & certificates: Extended certificate management (SignCertificateRequest now supports requestId) and added support for ISO 15118‑20 certificates.
- Bidirectional power & V2X: Expanded support for bidirectional charging (V2X) and treating Charging Stations/EVs as Distributed Energy Resources (DER).
- Smart charging & load control: New charging profile purposes (e.g., PriorityCharging, LocalGeneration), operationMode in charging schedules, and dynamic charging profiles for frequent updates.
- Tariff, cost and billing: Local cost calculation on the Charging Station, new use cases for setting default/user tariffs and reporting calculated costs during/after transactions.
- Authorization & payment: Extended IdToken handling, new ad hoc payment flows (integrated and stand‑alone payment terminals, dynamic QR codes), and prepaid card use cases.
- Telemetry & diagnostics: New metervalue types (including Upstream), measurands for bidirectional charging, monitoring types (TargetDelta, TargetDeltaRelative), and optimized periodic monitoring via event streams.
- Provisioning & remote control: Network provisioning extensions (basicAuthPassword, identity), remote triggers (CustomTrigger), and restart/resume transactions after resets or reboot.
- JSON schema changes: Optional extensions to many message types to enable the above features while maintaining schema compatibility.
Applications - who benefits and real-world use
- Charging station manufacturers: implement firmware to support new V2X, ISO 15118‑20 and tariff features.
- CSMS vendors and network operators: upgrade management platforms for certificate workflows, local cost calculation, ad hoc payment, and DER integration.
- Utilities and DER aggregators: integrate EV load as flexible resources for demand response, local generation and grid services.
- System integrators and fleet operators: deploy interoperable charging networks with advanced authorization and billing scenarios.
- Test labs and certification bodies: validate conformance, security and interoperability with legacy OCPP 2.0.1 implementations.
Related standards
Keywords: OCPP 2.1, IEC 63584-210:2025, Open Charge Point Protocol, EV charging, CSMS, ISO 15118-20, V2X, bidirectional charging, smart charging, tariff, JSON schemas.