Standards & Implementation Guidance
Selecting and installing charging hardware
Hardware decisions made at purchase determine site economics for a decade. Installation decisions determine whether the hardware performs as specified.
Evaluation criteria, in priority order
- OCPP conformance. Ask for the specific OCPP version and evidence of conformance testing (see the testing guide), not a marketing claim of "OCPP compatible." Many devices implement a subset of the message set.
- Serviceability in-market. Confirm spare parts and technician support exist locally, or via a regional partner, before committing to a hardware line. A charger that requires shipping a part from another continent has an effective uptime ceiling regardless of build quality.
- Environmental rating. Confirm IP and temperature ratings against actual site conditions — dust ingress and heat are the two most common causes of premature hardware failure in the region, not electrical faults.
- Connector standard fit. Match connector type (CCS2, GB/T, Type 2, CHAdeMO) to the vehicle population the site will actually serve — see the guide on Chinese vehicle integration if GB/T-equipped vehicles are a meaningful share of expected traffic.
- Grid footprint. Confirm the charger's power draw and demand profile against the site's actual grid connection and DSO agreement before ordering, not after delivery.
Installation and commissioning
A charger that passes factory testing can still fail on site due to installation issues. Commissioning should include, at minimum:
- Verified earthing and electrical protection appropriate to local grid conditions, signed off by a certified electrician.
- A live OCPP handshake test with the target CPMS before the site is marked live — not just a factory-default connection test.
- A full-power test session, since many faults only appear under sustained load rather than at connection time.
- Physical siting review: cable strain relief, connector height and reach for accessibility, and protection from vehicle impact.
Common failure modes worth planning for
| Failure mode | Root cause | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Charger reachable, sessions fail | Partial OCPP implementation | Conformance testing before purchase |
| Intermittent connector faults | Dust/heat ingress | Match IP rating to site conditions, not spec sheet minimums |
| Long repair turnaround | No local service partner | Confirm serviceability before hardware selection, not after failure |
| Site under-delivers rated power | Grid connection undersized | Validate against DSO agreement before ordering hardware |