Yes — in most cases you can switch charging software without replacing the chargers. A networked charger reports to a platform endpoint, and switching means re-pointing each charger at the new platform, which an open protocol such as OCPP exists to allow. What decides whether a switch is quick admin or a season of pain is not the hardware: it is which records live where.
Key Takeaways
- Switching platforms rarely means replacing chargers — it means re-pointing them, which a stated OCPP version makes confirmable in advance.
- Configuration, RFID lists, tariffs and site records move as data — keep your own copies of all four.
- Driver accounts, stored payment methods and balances belong to the old service and are rebuilt or settled, never transferred.
- “OCPP-ready” is not a switch plan: close the version and tested pairing in writing first.
What Moves With You
| Item | How it moves |
|---|---|
| Charger configuration | Each unit’s platform endpoint and credentials are re-set — remotely or by a commissioning visit, depending on the model and contract |
| RFID and token lists | Exported from the old platform as data and imported by the new one. Keep your own master copy — do not let the platform be its only home |
| Tariff structures | Your prices are your decisions, so they travel as decisions — re-entered as settings in the new platform, not carried across automatically |
| Site and charger records | Recreated from your own inventory: model, serial, connector count and the stated protocol version per unit |
These share one property: they are set on the charger itself or are data you can hold independently — a switch planned around your own copies does not depend on the old provider’s goodwill, as our OCPP explainer for operators sets out.
What Does Not Move Cleanly
- Driver accounts and app pairings. An account belongs to the platform’s service, not to your site. Drivers register again with the new service.
- Stored payment methods. Card details held by one provider do not transfer to another. Drivers add them again; expect a communication task, not a data task.
- Session history continuity. Whether your history follows you depends on the old contract’s export terms. Export it — in open formats, and open the files to check — before the account closes.
- Balances and prepaid credit. Money drivers hold with the old service is settled under the old contract; how refunds are handled is a field to read there, not an assumption to make.
Before You Give Notice: The Readiness Checks
- Version inventory. Write down the stated OCPP version for every model on your sites; “supported” must be confirmed per model, in writing — a brand-level yes is not a pairing.
- Export first. Take the session history and driver-list exports while the account is fully live, and read them back. An export you cannot open is not an export.
- Name the re-pointing work. Who performs it, whether it needs a site visit per charger, and who pays — settled before the old platform is told.
- Plan the window per charger. A unit being re-pointed sells no sessions. Sequence the estate so no site goes dark at its busiest hours.
- Draft the driver message. New app or account, new payment setup, what happens to balances — drivers told early complain less.
Stated Claims Decide How Portable Your Hardware Is
The portability question is answered by the listing, not by a salesperson. EVDANCE’s EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station and EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger state OCPP 1.6J — a named version an incoming platform can confirm it runs and has tested. The EV-ACS3210E states “OCPP-ready”: the version, and which platforms it has been paired with, are open questions to close in writing before a switch plan assumes that model. EVDANCE sells hardware only — it runs no platform and offers no migration service; the portability comes from the stated protocol, listed per model on the commercial charging page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my chargers work during the switch?
Each charger is out of service for its own re-pointing window; the estate keeps working around it if you sequence the units. Window length depends on the model and whether a visit is needed — a figure to get per model, in writing.
Do drivers keep their accounts when I switch?
No. Accounts, app pairings and stored cards belong to the service being left; drivers register with the new one. Tell them early, and settle balances under the old contract.
Can I switch software on a charger that states no OCPP?
Not on paper. Without a stated open protocol there is nothing to confirm a new platform against, and proprietary units may have to be replaced; the maker’s written answer on that exact model decides.
Related Reading
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
- RFID and User Management for Shared EV Chargers
- How Do Smart EV Chargers Work?
