Choose a charging software platform on three matches, in this order: the functions your site actually needs, the OCPP version your hardware states, and the exit terms if you ever leave. The platform is the system that authorises drivers, applies your tariffs, records sessions and reports faults — a separate service from the chargers, and from the job software an installation business uses for quotes and certificates. No platform is named here, because the right choice is the one whose written answers match your hardware’s stated claims.
Key Takeaways
- Match in order: functions your site needs, the OCPP version your hardware states, and the exit terms.
- A named version (OCPP 1.6J) is a testable claim; “OCPP-ready” leaves version, certification and tested pairings to be closed in writing.
- Payment, payouts and fees are the platform’s contract — never part of a charger’s specification.
- Before signing, secure the exit: full data export, driver-account handling and the re-pointing route.
The Function Map: What to Ask, What It Must Match
| Function | What to ask the platform | The hardware-side evidence it must match |
|---|---|---|
| Driver access | How are drivers authorised — RFID lists, app, contactless — and who administers the lists? | EV-ACT3204PE 22 kW wallboxes, one per on the EV-AC03201T is listed hardware, not a platform promise |
| Tariffs and payment | Who holds the driver’s money, when are you paid out, and what do fees cover? | The station reports each session’s meter values over OCPP; the money is the platform’s contract, never a charger specification |
| Records and reporting | Can you export session, energy and uptime records in open formats, per charger and per site? | The records a platform shows are bounded by what the charger reports |
| Fault monitoring | What alerts reach you, and which remote actions — start, stop, reset — does the platform support? | Only the functions the charger’s OCPP implementation enables — a platform cannot use one it does not implement |
| Several sites and user groups | Can staff, members and the public sit on one account with different tariffs? | Every charger on the account must speak a supported OCPP version — check model by model, not by brand |
The Version Match Is the Gate
OCPP is the open protocol between charger and platform, covered in our OCPP explainer for operators. The buying rule is to match stated words on both sides. Where a charger’s listing names a version — the EV-AC03201T station and the EV-RHDC30K-L DC charger both state OCPP 1.6J — ask the platform to confirm it runs that version and has tested the pairing, in writing. Where a listing says “OCPP-ready”, as the EV-ACS3210E’s does, the phrase leaves three things open: which version, whether any certification stands behind it, and which platforms it has actually been paired with. Close all three in writing before a plan relies on that charger. A model stating neither is not platform-pairable on paper, whatever a salesperson suggests.
The Exit Question Most Buyers Forget
Platforms are replaceable in principle — that is the point of an open protocol — but only if the contract lets you leave cleanly. Before signing, get written answers to four questions. Can you export your session history and driver records, in open formats, at any time? What happens to registered drivers and their balances if you move? How are chargers re-pointed to a new back-end, and who pays for that commissioning visit? And what are the contract length and notice period? A platform that answers these plainly is selling a service; one that will not is selling a lock-in. The same answers protect you if a platform ever shuts down.
The EVDANCE Side of the Pairing
EVDANCE builds hardware; it does not operate the platform your site runs on. Its listings give a platform buyer stated claims to match against: OCPP 1.6J on the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station and the EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger, and “OCPP-ready” — no more than that phrase — on the EV-ACS3210E. No listing makes a touchscreen a payment terminal; payment is the platform’s service. Pairing questions for a planned site can start from our commercial charging page or the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does EVDANCE provide the software platform?
No. EVDANCE is the hardware manufacturer; the platform is a separate service you contract with its provider. EVDANCE’s part is a charger whose listing states the OCPP claim to match.
Can one platform run chargers from different makers?
Yes — that is what an open protocol is for. Each model’s stated version must be supported, so confirm the pairing per model, in writing, before a rollout depends on it.
Is “OCPP-ready” enough to choose a platform around a charger?
Not yet. “Ready” names a capability, not a version or a tested pairing. Get the version, any certification evidence and a named tested platform in writing — or build on hardware that states its version outright.
Related Reading
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
- How Do Smart EV Chargers Work?
- RFID and User Management for Shared EV Chargers
