OCPP explained: the standard that keeps you free to switch
OCPP is the open language that lets chargers work with different software. It's the single best defence against being locked to one supplier.
Last updated 15 August 2026
If you learn one acronym in depot charging, make it OCPP. It’s the difference between owning a flexible system and being trapped with one supplier for a decade.
What OCPP is
The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is a common language that lets chargers from different manufacturers talk to different management software. With OCPP-compliant hardware, your chargers and your back-office system aren’t permanently welded together — they can be mixed and changed.
Why it’s the key defence against lock-in
A charging system lives in your yard for many years. Over that time you may want to change software providers, add chargers from another brand, or renegotiate on price. With genuine OCPP compliance you can do all of that without ripping out equipment. Without it, you’re tied to one company’s proprietary system — their hardware, their software, their pricing — until you replace the lot. That’s the lock-in OCPP exists to prevent.
Insist on it — and verify
The catch is that “OCPP-compatible” is used loosely. Make full OCPP compliance a firm, written requirement in your tender, ask which version, and confirm it in the contract. It costs nothing extra to specify and protects you for the life of the system.
The bigger picture
OCPP is the foundation of a future-proofed charging system, alongside data ownership and sensible connector choices. It’s the cheapest, highest-return line in the whole specification — one question, asked firmly, that keeps your options open for a decade.