A purchase specification is the buyer’s side of the tender document: the clauses a project writes so that what arrives is what was priced. Reading a specification is the bidder’s skill; this piece drafts one from the buyer’s chair. The must-have clauses cover identity, performance, interoperability, access and payment scope, evidence, warranty and acceptance — each written together with the document that will prove it at delivery.
Key Takeaways
- The must-have clauses: identity, performance, interoperability, access and payment scope, evidence, warranty, substitution, acceptance.
- Each clause is written with its evidence — a document, a nameplate or a record that can be checked at delivery.
- Funded specifications such as NEVI lend their categories, never their figures.
- “OCPP-ready” never satisfies an interoperability clause; a stated version for the exact model does.
The Must-Have Clauses
| Clause | What it prevents | Evidence wording to require |
|---|---|---|
| Exact model and variant | A sibling configuration arriving under the quoted name | “Datasheet and declaration naming the model and variant supplied” |
| Performance as stated | A product family’s top figures quoted for a lesser unit | “Nameplate ratings for the configuration supplied, per its datasheet” |
| Interoperability | A “ready” phrase priced as platform compliance | “The protocol version stated for this model, with its document file” — a stated version, or nothing |
| Access and payment scope | A display screen sold as a payment terminal | “Access features as listed; payment scope stated separately as the platform arrangement” |
| Certifications and documents | Expired or wrong-name certificates surfacing at acceptance | “Certificates and declarations current at delivery, in the holder’s name as shown” |
| Warranty and service | A brochure term the actual text does not support | “Full warranty text and the service route, in writing, before award” |
| Substitution and changes | A silent model swap between award and delivery | “No substitution without written approval, against the same evidence” |
| Delivery and acceptance | Hardware accepted before its records are checked | “Commissioning and session records handed over at acceptance” |
Two Drafting Rules Behind the Table
- Write only requirements you can check at delivery. A clause nobody can verify is decoration; every line above ends in a document, a nameplate or a record.
- Every clause names its evidence. If the proof cannot be stated in the clause, the requirement is not ready to be written.
- Keep other buyers’ figures out. Funded programmes publish the clearest specifications — the U.S. NEVI rules in 23 CFR Part 680 set 150 kW ports, uptime above 97% and contactless payment — but those numbers belong to that programme. Copy the categories, never the figures.
An EVDANCE Entry, Written as a Clause Answer
Answered strictly from its listing, the EV-AC03201T enters a purchase specification as: floor-standing dual-connector AC station, two Type 2 connectors sharing up to 43 kW (22 kW per connector), OCPP 1.6J stated, RFID access, IP54 — with billing written as the buyer’s platform scope, because the station’s touchscreen is a display, not a payment terminal. The EV-ACT3204PE enters as a 22 kW three-phase Type 2 wallbox in the cable or socket configuration the clause names, RFID and app, IP66, CE. EVDANCE is a Shenzhen manufacturer founded in 2011, with a 3-year standard warranty. Specification-stage enquiries go through our commercial charging team or contact us, naming the clause the answer must satisfy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we copy a public buyer’s specification?
The categories, yes; the figures, no. Their numbers belong to their funding, their sites and their contract. Your clauses must carry your project’s figures and your project’s evidence.
Should a purchase specification name a brand or model?
Performance-and-evidence drafting lets bids be compared like for like. If the project does name a model, still demand the file for that exact variant — the identity clause matters most when a name is already in the document.
A bid offers an “OCPP-ready” charger against our interoperability clause. Does it comply?
No. “Ready” is a preparation phrase, not a stated protocol version. Score the bid on what the model’s own file states, and let the clause’s evidence wording do the work.
Related Reading
- EV Charger Certifications Explained: CE, UKCA, UL, ETL, CB and What Buyers Should Ask For
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- Who Owns the Certificate in a Private-Label EV Charger?
- How Much Does It Cost to Install a Commercial EV Charging Station?
