EV concepts
EV Charge Points (EV CP)
An EV station, also known as a charging station or charge point, is a power supply device that supplies electrical power for recharging plug-in electric vehicles.
The data model is based on Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) version 2.2.1. It includes custom attributes for location details, eMSP (eMobility Service Provider) information, contact data, and special attributes, for example for heavy vehicle support.
Structure of EV Charge Point data
EV Charge Point data is structured into three levels: Location, Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), and Connector.
The following figure shows the EV charging data hierarchy from Location to Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) to Connector.
EV Charge Points glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Charge Point Operator, CPO | A Charge Point Operator (CPO) is a party that operates, manages, and sets up a charging station network. A Charge Point Suboperator is a secondary operator or a brand collaborating with the CPO. A Charge Point Owner is the owner of the EV charge point collaborating with the CPO. |
| E-Mobility Service Provider (eMSP) | An eMobility Service Provider (eMSP) is a company or organization that provides electric vehicle (EV) charging roaming services. Using EV roaming, electric vehicle drivers can access charging services at various participating charging networks. eMSPs provide billing and payment services for EV charging, as well as technical support and customer service. |
| Open Charge Point Interface, OCPI | The Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) is a protocol that supports data exchange and connections between eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs) and Charge Point Operators (CPOs). It offers a robust framework for EV charging information exchange. OCPI 2.2.1 specification: https://evroaming.org/app/uploads/2020/06/OCPI-2.2-d2.pdf |
| Location | The Location object describes the location and its properties where a group of EVSEs that belong together are installed. The Location contains precise location information of the EV charge point as well as information about charge point operator and eMSP. A Location always contains at least one EVSE. Locations are sometimes referred to as Pools, especially in eMI3 protocol. |
| EVSE | Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment. The EVSE object describes the part that controls the power supply to a single EV in a single session. It always belongs to a Location and contains at least one Connector. The EVSE contains location information as well as directions to reach the EVSE (for example a floor, physical_reference or directions). Dynamic availability information is always on EVSE level. EVSE is sometimes referred to as Station, Charge Point or Stall. |
| Connector | A Connector is the socket or cable and plug available for the EV to use. A single EVSE may provide multiple Connectors but only one of them can be in use at the same time. A Connector always belongs to an EVSE object. Connector is sometimes referred to as port or gun. |
What is the difference between a CPO and an eMSP?
EV CPO builds and maintains the EV charging network, while the eMSP manages the business side of EV Charging by dealing with customers and monetizing EV charging under their own brand. An eMSP can have more than just one CPO in their pool – this will grant more value to the end user of the eMSP, as their customers can now access an even larger network of charging stations. CPO and eMSP organisations are partners and can sometimes be the same entity.
On the data level we have used operator, suboperator, and owner attributes if the CPO takes care of the billing, and we have filled eMSPs in the roaming attributes in cases there are other parties managing the billing.
EV static data product
The EV static data product includes detailed information on charge points, from address details to connector specifications. It is updated periodically.
To understand the data product contents, visit the EV static data layer documentation.
EV dynamic status data product
Dynamic status updates is a real-time data product providing information on EVSE charging events. For example, the layer provides an event, when a charging starts or ends at an EVSE.
See EV dynamic status updates documentation for details.
HERE EV Charge Points API v3
The HERE EV Charge Points API v3 is an API that is used together with the HERE Geocoding and Search API v7. The HERE Geocoding and Search API v7 handles the search and discovery of the charging locations, returns basic information about charging locations, and returns HERE Place IDs for these locations. The HERE EV Charge Points API v3 is then used to get additional or updated information about the charging locations using their HERE Place IDs.
To understand the HERE EV Charge Points API v3, visit the HERE EV Charge Points API v3 documentation.
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