When a DC charger shows offline in your CMS, the hardware question is only half the job — the other half is running the site well until the link returns. This playbook is for operators of units like the EV-RHDC30K-L, a 22 kW DC charger reporting over OCPP 1.6J. It covers what to tell drivers, how to protect the session record, and what to hand support — because at a DC site, sessions are short, drivers are waiting, and an unmanaged hour costs more goodwill than the outage itself.
Key Takeaways
- Offline in the CMS is a reporting state; the operator’s real work is driver communication and records.
- Offline behaviour — session starts, data storage, reconnection — is not stated for this model; confirm it in writing in calm times.
- Document the data-gap window and reconcile it with the platform provider explicitly.
- One escalation pack, routed by owner, beats three partial phone calls.
First: What You Do Not Know Yet
The listing for this model states OCPP 1.6J and nothing about offline behaviour. It does not say whether sessions can start while the charger is unreported, whether records are stored and forwarded later, or how the unit reconnects. Those answers exist — in the manual and in your platform agreement — and your playbook should be built from them, obtained in writing before an outage. Until then, treat every offline-behaviour claim, including reassuring ones, as unconfirmed. Our OCPP explainer sets out which questions belong to the hardware and which to the platform.
The Driver Communication Job
| Driver situation | What good handling looks like |
|---|---|
| Arrives at an offline DC charger | A visible notice at the unit: what is known, what is not, and the nearest alternative your network can point to |
| Mid-session when the link drops | A platform or app message if your provider supports one; the session facts you hold are what your systems already recorded |
| Waiting in a queue | An honest estimate or an honest “unknown” — DC drivers plan around minutes, so silence reads as indifference |
DC sites differ from AC sites here: a driver at a 22 kW DC unit expected a short stop, so information decays faster. Decide the wording, the signage and who posts updates before you need them — that is policy you own, not a charger feature.
The Session-Data Gap and Reconciliation
- Note the window: when the CMS last saw the charger, and when contact returned, as your platform displays them.
- List what your own records hold for that window — site logs, payment records, driver reports — without assuming the charger stored anything.
- Ask the platform provider, in the ticket, how the gap will be reconciled and what, if anything, arrives late.
- Keep the exchange: if a session is ever disputed, this file is the evidence both sides work from.
Whether the EV-RHDC30K-L buffers session data is a written-confirmation item for EVDANCE and your platform — ask it in calm times and file the answer in the playbook. The connectivity background in whether chargers need connectivity explains why a blind platform and a dead charger are different events.
The Escalation Record Pack
Send one pack, once: charger and site identity, the offline window, on-site observations (power present, LCD state, other equipment on the same connection), the driver-communication steps taken, and the data-gap note above. Route it by owner — platform provider for the CMS side, your network provider for the site path, EVDANCE for the charger itself via EVDANCE support, under the 3-year standard warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can drivers keep charging while the charger is offline in the CMS?
Not stated for this model. Offline session behaviour is a written confirmation from EVDANCE and your platform; your driver policy should be built on that answer, not on hope.
Will the missing sessions appear in the CMS later?
Also not stated. Assume a gap until your platform provider confirms how reconciliation works — and keep your own site records for the window either way.
What should the sign at the charger say?
What is known, what is being done, and where else to charge. Keep it factual and dated; remove it when the link returns, and file a copy with the record pack.
Related Reading
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- Do Home EV Chargers Need Wi-Fi?
- RFID and User Management for Shared EV Chargers
- How Fast Is a DC Fast Charger?
