Buy the OCPP version your management platform actually runs. A charger and a platform must share a version before they can exchange a single session, so a 2.0.1 charger on a 1.6 platform is not future-proofing — it is hardware that cannot register. Decide the platform first, confirm in writing which versions it accepts, and only then compare chargers.
Key Takeaways
- The platform decides: charger and platform must share an OCPP version before anything else matters.
- Newer is not automatically usable — a mismatched charger cannot register, whatever its specification.
- Match the version to the fleet you run and the functions you actually plan, including Plug & Charge.
- Get the version, the tested pairing and the basis of the claim in writing, per model, before you sign.
Step One: Ask Your Platform, Not the Charger Seller
The deciding document is your platform’s current statement of supported OCPP versions. Some platforms accept both 1.6 and 2.0.1, some run large 1.6 fleets with no 2.0.1 in sight, and a few newer platforms are 2.0.1-first. As our operator’s guide to OCPP notes, most operators today still run 1.6, which is why it remains the baseline for commercial AC projects. If you have not chosen a platform yet, choose platform and hardware as one decision: shortlist platforms, read their version support, and let that define the chargers you may buy. A charger seller cannot answer for a platform they do not run.
Step Two: Match the Version to the Site’s Real Work
| Your situation | Points toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Extending a site or fleet that already runs 1.6 | 1.6 | Consistency: one version to pair, test and support across the fleet |
| New site, and your platform is built on 2.0.1 | 2.0.1 | The chargers must speak the version the platform speaks |
| Plug & Charge is a real part of the plan | 2.0.1 | Its design supports ISO 15118 integration natively; 1.6 has no native Plug & Charge route |
| Core work only: remote start and stop, authorisation, billing, reporting | Either — where the platform supports it | Both generations cover the everyday operator functions; the platform’s support decides |
| No platform chosen yet | Neither, yet | Pick the platform first; its version support is the constraint every charger must meet |
What a Wrong Guess Costs
A version mismatch is not a configuration error you can tune away. A charger that cannot register with the platform delivers none of the managed functions it was bought for — no remote control, no session records, no billing — and changing a charger’s OCPP version later is a project to agree with the manufacturer in writing, not a settings toggle. The reverse mistake strands the purchase just as completely. This is why tenders name the version they require: “newer” wins nothing on its own.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
- Which OCPP version does this exact model implement — stated per model, in writing, not per brand?
- Has it been pairing-tested with my named platform, and can I see that confirmed in writing?
- What does the version claim rest on — the maker’s own declaration, or independent testing of that model and version?
- If I change platforms in three years, which versions will this hardware leave me able to choose?
EVDANCE Examples, Stated Plainly
Two EVDANCE networked models state OCPP 1.6J: the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station and the EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger. The EV-ACS3210E portable states “OCPP-ready”, which names no version — treat it as a prompt for written confirmation, not as a version. If your platform runs 1.6, the stated models meet the version test and only the pairing confirmation remains; if it requires 2.0.1, get written confirmation of what a model implements before ordering — no EVDANCE listing states it. Site planning starts from the commercial charging page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OCPP 2.0.1 always the better buy?
Only when your platform runs it and your site uses what it adds. A 2.0.1 charger on a 1.6 platform cannot register at all, which makes the older version the better buy in the only sense that matters: it works.
Can a 1.6 charger be upgraded to 2.0.1 later?
Treat any upgrade promise as an engineering project, not a setting. If a supplier offers one, get it as a written commitment for that exact model, and price the re-pairing and testing work into the decision.
I’m buying ahead for a site with no platform yet. What should I do?
Decide the platform first, or at least shortlist platforms and buy the version their support statements share. Hardware bought before the platform is chosen carries all the mismatch risk described above.
Related Reading
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- Smart Charging and Time-of-Use Tariffs: How Scheduling Cuts EV Charging Costs
- EV Charger Certifications Explained: CE, UKCA, UL, ETL, CB and What Buyers Should Ask For
- EV Charging Industry News: NEVI Funding Returns, the 30C Tax Credit Ends
