Check out our series of articles on e-mobility fundamentals and learn about the smart grids.

Experienced content writer with over 4 years of experience in the energy sector and many industry-related publications released.

Gabriela Stawiarska

Knowing the industry complexity, at Solidstudio, we thought it would be a good idea to launch a series of blog entries on e-mobility fundamentals. The articles are to shed light on some of the topics that may not necessarily be clear to everyone.

E-mobility has been deemed the future of transportation and its growth is massively based on smart solutions. This includes not only innovative tech solutions for vehicles / chargers but also smart energy distribution across various networks.

In order to ensure the best scalability and efficiency, the concept of smart grids has been introduced and is currently being developed.

The smart grid is the central backbone of smart solutions, which enables smart capabilities in several application fields. The smart grid can be seen as a network consisting of energy producers and consumers which are connected together with different smart devices through a large number of communication networks.

Having a smart grid means having a smart solution for many different applications:

smart meters for smart electricity, gas and water

smart public infrastructures as smart producers

The possibilities of applications are nearly endless. However, to enable these various solutions all the devices that work together need to be able to communicate with each other.

In smart grids this is done via a number of different protocols that define the communication between smart devices. There are two main types of smart grid protocols:

These smart grid protocols cannot be compared to existing technologies, especially not to data communication networks, as they have a number of smart capabilities.

The focus of smart grids is not on sending large amounts of data from smart devices to the central smart grid network but on sending small packets which convey information about smart consumers or smart producers and their status. In addition to that, smart devices need to exchange more complex information such as signals that command smart devices to do smart things.

This means that smart grids are different to data communication networks, where one would use smart objects as smart end devices which send large amounts of data to the smart network solution.

Europe is looking to upgrade its outdated electricity networks with smart grid technology in order for the Union’s future energy needs. The upgraded metering and monitoring capacities of these new infrastructures will allow consumers access not just any form or type of renewable sources, such as wind power and solar panels; they can also predict when demand might increase due an unexpected event.

The JRC (Joint Research Centre) is currently investigating how electric vehicles and charging stations can work together more seamlessly. The work covers interoperability issues, including both sides - hardware and software (exchange protocols).

Such ameliorations come with their share of challenges. For example, the new smart grids need to be compatible and interoperable with our ever-popular smartphones. This way, users could monitor their energy consumption on a nationwide or even global scale; for example at home or traveling in an electric car, thanks to real time information on the performance of its own or others’ generation units.

As a consequence, the new smart grids need to be interoperable with other digital services and infrastructures, such as transport and transport ticketing systems. In the near future it might happen that on your way from home to work you will recharge your car at some charging station operated by your energy supplier. Big companies like Google, IBM or Siemens are already looking for or at least discussing such an interconnected system.

The European Commission foresees it too and is starting pilot projects in the next years to make sure that all this data will be managed securely, transparently and safely, also by using blockchain technology (a shared database) to keep it up-to-date.

The Commission also believes that the new smart grids can help Europe reach its climate goals by 2050. The limits agreed on in the Paris Agreement will be achieved by increasing renewable energies and making them more efficient, no matter what the source. As a result, all industries need to be aware of what is happening within their own sectors regarding this issue. And new technologies might provide the answer to some of these challenges, without having to rely solely on classic business models.


E-mobility stands for smart mobility and smart transportation. For example, public infrastructure can be smart charging stations for electric vehicles that are connected to the smart grid network. In this case a smart car would enter into a smart charging station and connect wirelessly to it via WiFi, LTE/4G or another broadband technology. The charging station would interact with the car via broadband protocol to charge its battery.

With such mutually-dependent, multi-leveled networks interoperability plays a vital role in ensuring it all runs smoothly. It starts with the physical connection of devices to the smart grid, and continues through the operational process and ends in business-to-business transactions.

This is where Open Standards come as a must. Just as with Web-based services, smart grid interoperability is achieved by applying fully supported broad industry standards. These standards allow for the automation of systems and the transfer of data between them.

The main benefits that interoperability and the use of open standards bring offers:

The long-term confidentiality and security of all stakeholders within the smart grid network, thanks to Open Standards

Open standards are vendor-agnostic. Ease of integration, scalability and lower costs are the direct results of the use of standards by various vendors within the network. As a result, interoperable systems can be built with multiple vendors in order to keep costs down

Interoperability promotes collaboration and information-sharing between various stakeholders in the smart grid, including electricity suppliers, data centers, system operators and end users

A variety of smart grid devices can be easily integrated within the network with interconnecting standards. This also enables the creation of new business models in the processes of electricity generation, distribution and consumption

In a nutshell, open standards in smart grid systems serve to foster interoperability across domains and business-to-business transactions. This promotes efficiency in the operation of all stakeholders within the network and contributes greatly to a better quality of life for all citizens.

E-mobility tariffs. How is the pricing structured within the industry?

See the first lesson of our comprehensive e-mobility training on OICP!

Having a chance to work with well-established startups from the e-mobility sector, Bartek gained invaluable knowledge on the industry requirements. On his path, he was given the opportunity to work on numerous EMSP applications and CPO platforms. Bartek is also our Head of Delivery.

Bartłomiej Łazarczyk

 is happy to introduce you to the Open Standards course led by our e-mobility expert - Bartlomiej. Throughout the following lessons, we will uncover the technicalities and functionalities of the OICP - a protocol developed by 

 - as well as business aspects for e-Mobility Service Providers and Charge Point Operators.

Such a knowledge-pack should serve everyone operating in the e-mobility industry as it unfolds the most crucial aspects of navigating through Open Standards utilization and many more!


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Open InterCharge Protocol Training - overview

At the beginning let's start with a short introduction about the Open InterCharge Protocol itself and Hubject - a company that has developed this protocol. In general Hubject is one of the most important companies on the European market that offers a large unified and open e-roaming network called Intercharge. Hubject acts like a hub for numerous e-mobility partners, like Charge Point Operators and e-Mobility Service Providers. Hubject became quite popular because they offered the possibility to integrate with a lot of individual market players at relatively low cost. The goal of Hubject is to create an e-mobility platform that will simplify communication between charge point operators and e-mobility service providers.

They would also like to automate their contract-based relationships - in order to achieve that, each partner must agree on common terms and their Hubject user agreement. Signing Hubject user agreement is mandatory in order to use their platform. Of course, each partner may have additional contracts. For example e-Mobility Service Providers may have a contract with end customers as well as Charge Point Operators may have a contract with a distribution system operator.


Previously mentioned simplification of communication is mostly achieved by using well-defined and standardized protocol called 

, currently being developed by Hubject. This protocol defines the message format and possible operations to perform, depending whether you are an EMSP or CPO. OICP is one of the most popular protocols in Europe and it mostly covers the communication between CPO and EMSP.

As a proof for the popularity that I've mentioned, here we have a list of partners that already integrate with Hubject via OICP or would like to integrate. We can find big names here like: Electrify America, Innnogy, Ubitricity, Virta or Porsche. Also, Hubject claims that over 960 partners already use intercharge network so we can only imagine how many possibilities it can offer.

The OICP protocol is divided into different services which specify a list of operations to perform, i.e.: we have authorization service which consists of operations like:

Each service may also have a different set of operations to perform depending on the role. For example, in EVSE data service, we have an e-roaming pool EVSE data specified only to EMP and e-roaming push EVSE data specified only to CPO. In order to be fully compatible with a service you as a partner need to implement all of the operations that are marked mandatory for your role. Typically it means that most of the operations or even all must be implemented.

We will cover all of those services independently within this course.

You have already heard the terms like Charge Point Operator or e-Mobility Service Provider but what exactly does it mean? And how can they interact with the Hubject platform?

Let's start with the Charge Point Operator. A partner that owns charging infrastructure, would like to expose it to as many customers as possible and to benefit from e-roaming network. OICP allows CPOs to expose their charging infrastructure to any customer that has a valid contract with an EMSP already registered in the Hubject network. CPOs have their dedicated service interfaces in OICP.

e-Mobility Service Provider - Fundamentals

On the other hand, we have e-Mobility Service Providers - those are the partners that would like to offer access to big public charging infrastructure to all of their customers. OICP in this case allows them to identify and communicate with charging stations which are available in the Hubject network. EMSPs also have their dedicated service interfaces in OICP.

Hubject distinguishes between offline and online EMP. Offline EMP stands out with no need for real-time connection for authorization - the most important process. Offline EMP does not have to handle authentication data on its own, instead you push the data to the Hubject platform. After that, Hubject will try to authorize any incoming charging sessions with the data that was sent and without any additional interaction with EMP (if that's possible). That comes with a small trade-off: as an EMP you will need to pull CDRs on your own from the Hubject platform. It will not be automatically forwarded to you after the charging session is completed. We may also have an online EMP which is characterized by real-time connection for authorization. That means that this kind of EMP must implement authorization service and handle authorization start/stop requests on its own. That will allow Hubject to forward requests automatically to EMP if it cannot authorize them on their platform.

On the other hand CDRs which are created are automatically forwarded to EMP in almost real time. That means that online EMP also must implement a service for accepting and processing CDRs.

Now, let's briefly introduce services from a CPO perspective.

The first one is e-roaming authorization service which covers all authorization processes, including remote start/remote stop and CDR processing. Then we have e-roaming reservation service, as the name suggests it allows you to reserve a charging station - this feature can be optionally offered by CPO. Then we have e-roaming EVSE data and e-roaming EVSE status. Both services allow you to push and pull EVSE data with but with a small difference. EVSE data is all about static data, like location, and EVSE status is all about dynamic data. Then, we have e-roaming dynamic pricing service, even though it's dynamic it covers mostly flexible pricing which we'll discuss later. For now, we need to remember that this service allows you to push and pull pricing product details and see which pricing product is specified to given EVSE. Then we have e-roaming charging notification service. Basically this service covers all the events that can happen during a charging session i.e. start/stop, progress or error.

When it comes to the services from EMP perspective, it's almost the same as for CPO with one small detail. We have an e-roaming authentication data service. This service allows EMP to push authentication data to the Hubject platform. This option allows EMP to behave like an offline EMP which we have covered before.

At the end of this short introduction we also need to mention a release policy, because it's very specific in OICP. Each previously mentioned service is versioned individually and independently from our OICP version. For example, we might have e-roaming authorization service in version 2.1 and we may have OICP version in 2.2 at the same time. Each new OICP release version results in a new service version specification; those are the services that will be supported. Each new OICP release version must be supported by Hubject for at least two years. At last, each new implementation should be done with the latest OICP version. Currently it's 2.3. Here we have an example of how release policy works in practice. The data here is not valid and it's only for the need of the presentation.

As you can see each OICP version has its own service version specification which is mandatory for a given OICP version. First two OICP versions 2.0 in 2.1 are already deprecated, therefore for e-roaming service x version 1.0 and 1.1 is also deprecated. The next three OICP versions are still supported, therefore e-roaming service x version 2.0 2.1 and 2.2 is also supported. If OICP version 2.2 becomes deprecated, then e-roaming service x version 2.0 and e-roaming service z version 2.1 also will become deprecated, because the next OICP version 2.3 is not supporting those service versions. On the other hand, for e-roaming service y version 2.1 would still be supported, because the next OICP version still supports that service version.


In this course we will focus on the latest OICP version which is 2.3. In this table you can find the service version specification. We will cover 

Open InterCharge Protocol Training. Overview

Standardize your e-mobility knowledge with our dedicated glossary!

Being an eMobility leader in various projects across multiple startups, Piotr was responsible for OCPI and OCPP integration as well as EMP and CPO platforms development. With extensive expertise in the open standards field and eMobility tech solutions, he is leading teams of experienced developers and contributing with invaluable knowledge and experience.

Piotr Majcher

Those who spent some time operating within the electro-mobility field already know how multi-dimensional this industry is. It connects many branches from various specializations including both hardware and software. Such interdisciplinarity leads to a very sophisticated and rich vocabulary specific only to the e-mobility. As the trade press is filled with a whole plethora of terms and abbreviations, one must be well familiar with them in order to understand what it’s all about.

We’re going to break down some of the most frequently used phrases.

The related terms will be split into categories for easier navigation.

Internal combustion engine cars (ICE) are vehicles that run on gasoline, diesel or other fuels. This technology has been around for more than a century and is quite mature. These cars work by using the energy stored in the fuel to convert it into kinetic energy. This happens through explosions of various kinds - either precisely controlled or uncontrolled, which then turn the wheels and move the vehicle forward

BEV here stands for battery electric vehicle. They use electricity as their power source. An EV does not need to be plugged in and charged overnight as it can store enough electricity for a limited-length commute. These are relatively new for mass-usage but significantly grow in popularity.

A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses two or more power sources to move the car. The most common type of hybrid car is one that uses an electric motor and a gasoline-powered engine. Hybrid cars are more fuel efficient than regular cars and they produce fewer emissions. Some people choose to buy hybrid cars because they want to help the environment


A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a type of hybrid electric vehicle that uses rechargeable batteries, or a plugin, to store energy. PHEVs combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors, which can result in significant fuel economy improvements over traditional vehicles.

. An EVSE unit comprises two parts - a cord set with connector that plugs into your car on one end; either hardwired or pluggable on the other; and a charging station where you connect to an EV outlet. The charger communicates with the car to determine what current will be most efficient. Put simply, an EVSE here would be a charging station and its related protocols managing the charging sessions.


As much as this term is not strictly dedicated to e-mobility it occurs quite frequently in industry papers. OEM stands for:

. In the electromobility world, these are usually car parts manufacturers and those who construct charging hardware.


Fleet electrification is the process of using EV's within a fleet environment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Fleet owners are already utilizing EVs in their fleets, as they offer cost savings and other benefits that cannot be found with traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). There are four main steps to fleet electrification: EV selection, charging infrastructure, training and support.


Connected cars are capable of gathering all sorts of information. From principle information, such as the speed or location, through engine status and malfunctions all the way to details such as whether the door was locked. For the collection of data, the responsibility holds the vehicle’s electronic control module (ECM). ECM is an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a vehicle. It runs via multiple sensors and camera modules and consists of many subsystems which combined together make up what we know as a car's computer. You can learn more about connected cars 

Charging session is simply the time the car spent charging. All the way from the very first plug-in to the payment for finalized charging.

Charging point is nothing but a charging station. Put simply, it’s the hardware that allows EV to be charged. It can be deemed as a charging location.


Charging infrastructure: public vs private

Public EV charging networks are those available to any EV user that happens to be in need of charging a car. It can be:

Rest areas and parking lots along highways, state routes, interstates

Workplaces that allow employees to charge their EV while they work (provided by employers)

Community spaces such as parks or libraries. They usually have a few chargers on site, but they are not intended for EV owners to use

Whereas, private charging infrastructure is made available only to a specific group of individuals. Such scenarios include:

Charging stations for drivers of a specific company/organization/residential complex. They can also be privately owned and only available for residents of particular neighborhoods (e.g., condominiums)

Worth mentioning is also the differentiation between open and closed charging networks. You can learn about it 

EV charging levels are like gas stations for electric cars. There are three EV charging levels: slow, medium, and fast. Slow EV charging can take up to 20 hours, while medium EV charging can take up to 12 hours. Fast EV charging can take as little as 30 minutes. The different EV charging levels allow drivers to choose the best EV charging method for their needs. EV charging levels are important to know because they can help drivers plan out their trips. For example, if a driver knows that they will be driving in a slow EV charging area, they can plan to charge their car at the end of their trip. This will help them avoid running out of battery power while driving. EV charging levels can also help drivers know how much EV charging time they will need for a trip. EV drivers should always check the type of EV charger in their car and where it is located to ensure that they are able to charge at all EV chargers when driving across different locations.


Lithium-ion batteries are the most commonly used battery in electric vehicles, and for good reason. They offer a high energy density that can power a car with increasing speeds up to about 200 mph. Lithium ion batteries use a process known as intercalation where lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive one through an electrolyte. When you discharge them, these same charges come back around and vice versa for charging.

Range anxiety is the fear of running out of charge while driving an electric vehicle (EV), and it's one of the main reasons people are hesitant to switch to EVs. While range anxiety is a valid concern, it's becoming less and less of an issue as EV technology improves.

Bidirectional charging is a process that allows EVs to send power back to the grid. This can happen either through a bi-directional charger or by using vehicle-to-grid technology. Bidirectional charging is beneficial because it helps stabilize the grid and manage energy consumption more efficiently. Additionally, it can help EV drivers earn money from energy not used for driving.


An energy supplier is a company that supplies electric power to customers. The company may be an electricity generator, or it may purchase electric power from generators and sell it to consumers. Some energy suppliers also own and operate electric transmission and distribution systems. Energy suppliers are important players in the electric grid because they help ensure that there is enough electric power available.

The electric grid is a network of electric power lines and associated equipment that transmits electric power from suppliers to consumers. The grid includes generators, transmission lines, distribution systems, and loads. The electric grid helps ensure that there is enough electric power available to meet the needs of consumers.

EV Charging Management Software and Services


In short eMSP is a unit that provides charging services directly to EV drivers and manages the payments for charging sessions. It should be free to say that eMSPs are responsible for the end-user care. They deliver the possibility to locate a charging point, get it to run and finalize the transaction. It’s also up to them to establish the charging network monetization ( payment methods, adequate tariffs and real-time billing) and customer satisfaction, ensuring the best client experience. One can say that eMSP’s are responsible for ensuring that products of CPO’s are ready to be used by EV drivers.

To see more about EMSP’s and learn the difference between them and CPO’s, we highly recommend you to take a look at our other article, where we go into more detail. 

Charge Point Operators are responsible for the construction of the charging stations. They are focused on developing and maintaining the charging infrastructure, which includes hardware installation, ensuring proper connectivity of charging points and their service. CPO’s main point of interest is keeping the technicalities up and running and, if needed, reacting to possible malfunctions in real-time. This is specifically important as a vast majority of charging stations should stay available 24/7.

CPO’s also care about the energy management and seamless connectivity to the grid, this includes i.e. energy storing or utilization of renewable sources of energy.

To see more about CPO’s and learn the difference between them and EMSP’s, we highly recommend you to take a look at our other articles, where we go into more detail. 

Common set of policies to guide interoperability among e-mobility service providers / charge point operators. These are APIs created to facilitate charging services. They also operate as a hub, connecting CPOs and eMSPs. Once a company is compatible with open standards, it becomes open for integration with any other comrade being already assigned.

Open Standards are a big topic within the industry as they play a crucial role in charging network unification and availability. We have published a much more in-depth look into what they are and how they work. You can learn about OCPI & OCHP 

The ultimate e-mobility glossary

Download our comprehensive PDF and learn about the pricing structures in e-mobility

Although it would seem rather straightforward, the pricing system within the EV charging environment extends further than just to the payments made by electric vehicles right after they charge their car.

Being such an interconnected network of mutual dependencies between numerous involved parties, e-mobility charging services require various levels of settlements.


It must be noted that it takes a few units to build up and manage a charging network. From 

, which manufacture the hardware side of required components (connectors, chargers, cables, etc), through 

, which are responsible for the backend management, all the way to 

, which determine the final user (here: EV driver) experience, there is a whole network of reliabilities.

Put simply and briefly, CPO’s are to establish billing connections with both EVSE and eMSP’s, in order to put the entire charging formation in place, while ensuring all parties receive transparent information and clear instructions.

To facilitate it, there are multiple types of pricings and contracts, some of which allow for complex, dynamic price models. Such undertaking is required so that eMSP’s can shape their end-users pricing often based on certain conditions, leaving the rates flexible.


Interoperability - the core of proper functioning

It should go without saying, that managing a pool of charging stations - oftentimes distributed across entire countries/regions - is not an easy task to handle and can only be achieved via advanced levels of interoperability and clear, unified procedures.

Open Standards are the chief example of how this can be achieved and maintained. Through the utilization of API’s like OICP the flow of information can be sustained in a transparent manner. This allows for a seamless communication and can facilitate the management of a vast majority of proceedings remotely, which comes in handy while developing a state-wide network, especially when there are numerous parties involved.


Knowing the behind-the-scenes nuances and arrangements, we prepared a comprehensive paper portraying the pricing structure within the e-mobility industry. Those who are willing to learn more about tariffs within charging services, should definitely find it useful.

Download our free paper and broaden your horizons with some great knowledge!

Smart Grids - what interoperability means for e-mobility?

27 JANUARY 2022 • 7 MIN READ