In 2019, several countries met to discuss the format of e-Mobility Service Provider (MSP) and Charge Point Operator (CPO) IDs, at the request of the EU as part of the EU ID and Data Collection for Sustainable fuels in Europe (IDACS) project. Their conclusions form the basis for the setup of ID Registration Organisations (IDROs) in all participating countries who have agreed that they will register the IDs in line with the agreed format and conforming to the agreed rules. This is particularly relevant for charging companies using the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI).  

 

On 23rd March 2022, the UK Government set out its intention to mandate the use of OCPI across all public EV charging infrastructure. To facilitate communication between OCPI-enabled chargepoint networks, EV Roam, the IDRO in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, issues MSPs and CPOs with a unique, 5-character ID in the agreed format. The MSPs and CPOs use these unique 5-character IDs to create longer, individual identifiers, for each MSP customer contract and for each chargepoint, charge station and/or charge pool operated by the CPO. Having these unique identifiers means the MSPs and CPOs can exchange data, allowing for a seamless charging and billing experience for the EV driver.  

 

The ID works as an identifier only, helping to identify businesses and their charging assets or their charging customers. Without these unique identifiers MSPs and/or CPOs could have the same identifiers meaning relevant IT systems would not be able to deal with the exchange of data accurately. 

 

Before, during and after charging, data is exchanged between the relevant MSP and CPO. The data exchanged before, during and after charging comprises of:  

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● Before charging - information about the location and availability of a chargepoint, showing an MSP’s customers where they can charge, whether the chargepoint is available and operational, and how they will be able to pay at the chargepoint e.g. credit card, pay as you go, RFID cards etc;  

● During charging - information about the status of the charge session in real time; this affects the availability data available to any future customers;  

● After charging - information about the customer’s charging session to allow the MSP to bill that customer accurately.  

 

A large part of the data exchange is done via IT systems and does not interfere with the customer’s charging experience. These systems need the CPO and MSP to have unique IDs so that they can first set up the connections and then manage the exchange of data.