The EV charging glossary: all the key terms
CPO, eMSP, OCPP, OCPI, ISO 15118, Tiruert, low-emission zones… The complete glossary of EV charging terms, from market players to protocols and regulation.
Electric vehicle charging has its own vocabulary, made of acronyms, protocols and regulatory references. Here is a reference glossary to help you find your way, from the players in the network to technical standards and the rules that frame EV charging infrastructure.
The players in the charging network
CPO — Charge Point Operator
The CPO is the player in charge of the technical and operational management of EV charging infrastructure. It supervises charge points, guarantees their availability, organises maintenance, manages charging sessions and, where relevant, the monetisation of the service. To run its network, the CPO generally relies on a CPMS (Charge Point Management System), which lets it manage roaming, apply pricing policies and ensure a level of service quality in line with the expectations of users and partners.
eMSP — e-Mobility Service Provider
An eMSP is a provider of electric mobility services for end users. It offers access to charging via a mobile app or an RFID badge, allowing drivers to charge across different networks thanks to roaming agreements with CPOs. The eMSP does not necessarily own the infrastructure. It relies on interoperability platforms such as Gireve or Hubject, or on direct connections between operators, to offer unified access to charging.
MSP — Mobility Service Provider
The MSP is a broader player than the eMSP. It offers mobility services that may include EV charging, but also other building blocks such as fleet management, multimodality or services dedicated to businesses. In the EV charging context, the term MSP is sometimes used generically, but eMSP remains the most precise designation for services strictly related to electric charging.
Charging infrastructure developer
The charging infrastructure developer is the entity that finances, deploys and owns the charging infrastructure. It may be a public authority, a company, a real-estate player or a private operator. Technical and commercial operation is most often delegated to a CPO.
Charging infrastructure operator
The operator handles the day-to-day running of the infrastructure: supervision, maintenance, user support, incident management and reporting. Depending on the contractual model, this role may be performed by the CPO itself or by a separate third party.
Energy supplier
The energy supplier provides the electricity consumed by the charging infrastructure. In some cases, it also plays an active role in charging management, offering smart charging mechanisms, price optimisation or contributions to grid balancing.
Infrastructure and charging
EV charging infrastructure
EV charging infrastructure covers all the equipment needed to charge electric vehicles: charge points, charging stations, electrical installations, supervision software and safety devices. It can be public, private or semi-public and is subject to a specific regulatory framework in France.
Charge point
A charge point is the physical interface used to charge a vehicle. A charging station can include one or more charge points, each associated with a connector and a distinct charging session.
AC charging station
An AC station delivers alternating current. Conversion to direct current is performed by the vehicle’s onboard charger. These stations are mainly used for slow or accelerated charging over long durations, notably in companies, at home or in car parks.
DC charging station
A DC station delivers direct current directly to the vehicle. It enables high power and reduced charging times. DC stations are favoured for intensive uses: fast charging, en-route charging, logistics platforms, heavy fleets and bus depots.
Connectors
Type 2 is the European standard for AC charging, widely used in companies, apartment buildings and public spaces. CCS (Combo CCS) is today the majority standard in Europe for DC fast charging, covering passenger, light commercial and heavy-goods vehicles. CHAdeMO is a legacy DC fast-charging standard whose use is declining in Europe in favour of CCS.
En-route charging
En-route charging allows a driver to charge their vehicle outside their usual network, thanks to interoperability and roaming agreements between operators.
Protocols and standards
OCPP — Open Charge Point Protocol
OCPP is the standard communication protocol between a charge point and supervision software (CPMS). It allows key information to be exchanged: charge point status, starting and stopping sessions, consumption, errors or remote updates. It is a pillar of interoperability, making it possible to connect charge points from different manufacturers to a single platform. OCPP 1.6 remains the most widely deployed version today, while OCPP 2.0.1 brings advanced features for security, certificate management and energy steering, notably in connection with ISO 15118.
OCPI — Open Charge Point Interface
OCPI is a data-exchange protocol between platforms, mainly used for charging roaming. It enables the exchange of information on charge points, sessions, users and billing between CPOs, eMSPs and third-party platforms.
ISO 15118 and Plug & Charge
The ISO 15118 standard defines direct communication between a vehicle and a charge point, enabling in particular automatic authentication of the vehicle. It forms the basis of Plug & Charge, which removes the need for a badge or app. The ISO 15118-20 version extends these uses to advanced functions such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G).
V2G and V2B
V2G allows an electric vehicle to return energy to the grid, turning the battery into an energy asset. V2B applies this principle to powering a building, within a logic of local energy management.
VDV 261
VDV 261 is a standard dedicated to public transport, aiming to standardise exchanges between electric buses, charge points and supervision systems. It makes it possible to exploit vehicle data (SOC, energy needs, preconditioning) to optimise charging in the depot.
Roaming and interoperability
Charging roaming (en-route charging)
Charging roaming refers to a user’s ability to charge their vehicle on a network of charge points that does not belong to their usual operator. It provides access to a large number of charge points without multiplying subscriptions or authentication methods, and relies on interoperability agreements between charging players.
Roaming
Roaming is the technical and contractual mechanism that makes en-route charging possible. It ensures the exchange of the necessary information between platforms — authentication, session data, pricing and billing — so that a user can charge their vehicle on a third-party network under transparent conditions.
Interoperability
Interoperability refers to the ability of charging systems to work together, independently of charge point manufacturers, operators or software platforms. It relies on standard protocols and agreements between players, and is an essential prerequisite for EV charging infrastructure at industrial scale.
Roaming platform
A roaming platform is a technical intermediary that facilitates interoperability between CPOs and eMSPs. It centralises data exchanges related to charge points, sessions, user authentication and billing.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) connection
A peer-to-peer (P2P) connection is a direct interconnection between two charging platforms, without going through a centralised roaming platform. It is generally set up between strategic partners to optimise exchanges, reduce transaction costs or meet specific needs.
RFID badge
The RFID badge is a physical authentication method allowing a user to start a charging session. It is widely used in professional contexts, fleets and private networks for its ease of use and reliability.
QR code
The QR code makes it possible to start a charging session without a badge or subscription, generally via a direct Scan & Pay payment. It is mainly used for one-off or occasional uses on networks open to the public.
Energy and smart charging
Smart charging
Smart charging brings together all the mechanisms that steer EV charging based on energy constraints, usage and grid capacity. It dynamically adjusts the power and timing of charging in order to optimise costs, avoid demand peaks and guarantee vehicle availability.
CPMS — Charge Point Management System
A CPMS is supervision software dedicated to managing charging infrastructure. It makes it possible to steer charge points, manage charging sessions, implement smart charging strategies, supervise energy and integrate charging with existing business tools. Chargekeeper is a CPMS. The CPMS is the central building block between charge points, the electrical grid and usage.
EMS — Energy Management System
An EMS is an energy management system for a site or building. It centralises consumption, production and storage data. Connected to a CPMS, it makes it possible to align EV charging with the site’s overall energy usage.
Subscribed power
Subscribed power is the maximum power contracted with the electricity grid operator. Unmanaged charging can lead to costly overruns, which smart charging mechanisms make it possible to anticipate and avoid.
Demand peak
A demand peak occurs when electricity demand exceeds the capacity available on a site or network. On professional or industrial energy contracts, these peaks can generate significant costs if they are not controlled, especially on sites heavily equipped with charge points.
French and European regulation
LOM law — Mobility Orientation Law
The LOM law sets the framework for transforming mobility in France. It imposes, in particular, pre-equipment and equipment obligations for charging infrastructure in new or renovated buildings, as well as decarbonisation targets for professional fleets.
APER law — Acceleration of Renewable Energy Production
The APER law aims to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy across France. It introduces, in particular, obligations to equip certain car parks with photovoltaic canopies, creating direct synergies between energy production, EV charging and smart charging.
ADVENIR
ADVENIR is a funding programme designed to support the deployment of charging infrastructure in France. It offers financial aid subject to conditions of technical compliance, supervision and regulatory data reporting.
Qualicharge
Qualicharge is a national platform for collecting and transmitting charging data, notably for DC infrastructure. It makes it possible to automate the regulatory declarations required to obtain certain certificates and subsidies.
Tiruert certificates
Tiruert certificates make it possible to value the use of renewable electricity in road transport, notably for professional fleets. Their generation relies on automated, compliant and traceable data flows produced by charging infrastructure.
Low-emission zones (ZFE)
Low-emission zones are urban areas in which the circulation of the most polluting vehicles is restricted or banned. They are a major lever for accelerating the electrification of professional fleets and public transport.
EV charging open data
Public charging infrastructure is subject to obligations to publish open data, notably via data.gouv.fr. This data aims to improve transparency, the interoperability of services and information for users.