Industry Glossary

Bidirectional charging technology that enables electric vehicles to return digitally managed energy from their batteries back to the power grid during peak demand periods.

Intelligent management of EV charging sessions to optimize energy consumption based on grid constraints, energy prices, and vehicle schedule requirements.

Global open application standard for communication between EV charging stations and a central management system (CSMS).

Version 2.0.1 of the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) that standardizes communication between charging stations and a Charging Station Management System (CSMS).

A standardized way for a charging station to describe its structure and expose configurable/monitorable data to a CSMS without the CSMS needing charger-specific knowledge.

A set of standardized security levels that define how a CSMS and charging station authenticate and protect their communication in OCPP.

OCPP 2.1 is a newer OCPP release that extends the protocol ecosystem with clearer architecture guidance and energy-management integration patterns for smart charging deployments.

The level of charge of an electric battery relative to its capacity, expressed as a percentage.

Family of standards for high-level communication between an electric vehicle (EV) and a charging station (EVSE), enabling certificate-based "Plug & Charge" and advanced charging control (including bidirectional charging in newer editions).

Certificate-based EV charging where authorization happens automatically when the vehicle is plugged in—without RFID cards or mobile apps.

A digital certificate stored in the EV that enables contract-based authorization and billing for Plug & Charge sessions.

ISO 15118 concept for charging and discharging where an EV and EVSE coordinate power flow in both directions (V2G/V2B), not just charging.

ISO 15118-20 parameter that describes whether bidirectional energy flow uses one shared channel (Unified) or two dedicated channels (Separated) for opposite directions.

A measure of a battery’s remaining usable capacity and performance compared to when it was new.

Charging that allows energy to flow both into the vehicle and back out to a building or the grid.

ISO 15118 Value Added Service that allows the EV and EVSE to use standard internet protocols (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS) during a charging session.

Software platform used to monitor, manage, and optimize a network of EV charging stations.

Roaming interoperability protocol for exchanging charging network data (locations, tariffs, tokens, sessions, commands, and charge detail records) between CPOs, eMSPs, hubs, and multi-role platforms.

OCPI 2.2+ capability that enables hub-friendly routing patterns so platforms can exchange data through hubs without managing many bilateral connections.

The OCPI mechanism for establishing and maintaining trust between platforms (tokens, endpoint discovery, and version negotiation).

Charging infrastructure located at a central facility where fleet vehicles return to park and charge, typically overnight.

Technology that monitors a vehicle's location, status, and behavior using GPS and onboard diagnostics.

A full-cost view of buying and operating a vehicle or fleet over its lifecycle, not just the purchase price.

Upfront investment spending on long-lived assets such as vehicles, chargers, and depot/grid upgrades.

Ongoing operating costs such as energy, maintenance, labor, and administration.

End-to-end coordination of vehicles, routes, maintenance, and charging to keep operations reliable and cost-efficient.

Finding the most efficient routes while considering constraints like range, charging needs, traffic, and time windows.

VDV-Schrift 452 defines the German public-transport data model (ÖPNV-Datenmodell) used as a consistent semantic basis for databases and interfaces across public transport IT systems.

A relational database structured according to the ÖPNV data model, used as a standardized data store for public-transport interfaces and applications.

A qualified ASCII file format used for offline transfer of data structures defined in the ÖPNV data model.

Standardized interface for exchanging operational and dispatch-relevant data between an ITCS and a depot management system (BMS) using SIRI-based services.

A VDV 461 service that transmits predicted depot arrival times and related context from ITCS to the depot management system (BMS).

A VDV 461 mechanism for sending instructions (e.g., parking bay assignment) from the depot management system to ITCS and onward to drivers/vehicles.

Standardized interface for data exchange between depot/ITCS “pre-systems” and charging management, so charging and preconditioning can be planned and synchronized for e-bus depots.

A VDV 463 data structure describing an automatically scheduled preconditioning request for an e-bus while it is connected at the depot.

Optional VDV 463 structure that quantifies time and energy required for vehicle and HV-battery preconditioning.

VDV recommendation that extends ISO 15118 (Ed. 1) for e-bus operations by defining how an e-bus connects to a dispatching (“dispositive”) backend to exchange preparation parameters such as preconditioning.

A VDV 261-defined protocol for exchanging operational parameters between an e-bus and a backend system via ISO 15118 Value Added Services.

Monitoring and calculating the CO2 emissions associated with energy usage to measure environmental impact.

Disclosure of data covering a company's operations in three areas: Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance.

Real-time distribution of available power capacity across multiple active charging stations to preventing grid overload.

Strategy to reduce electricity consumption during intervals of maximum demand to lower demand charges.

An OCPP charging-profile purpose used to represent charging limits imposed by external actors like an Energy Management System (EMS) or a smart meter.

An OCPP message used by a charging station (or local controller) to inform the CSMS that the active charging limit changed due to an external source (e.g., EMS, smart meter, DSO signal).

An on-site component that can sit between charging stations and a CSMS to perform local scheduling and load balancing, often used when integrating an EMS at a site.

An energy-management topology where EMS and local-controller functionality are combined and placed between the CSMS and charging stations.

An EMS architecture where advanced optimization runs in the cloud while a local controller/EMS provides fast protection and offline fallback at the site.

The practice of purchasing energy when prices are low (off-peak) and using or selling it when prices are high (peak).

ISO 15118-20 BPT parameter describing the inverter behavior during discharge: following the grid voltage/frequency (grid-following) or actively forming them (grid-forming).

Techniques to detect an unintentional “island” where a site keeps energizing a local grid segment after it is disconnected from the main grid.

A fee on a commercial electricity bill based on the highest amount of power (kW) drawn during a 15-minute interval in the billing period.

Structured approaches to plan when and how vehicles charge to balance operations, costs, and grid constraints.

Real-time adjustment of charging power based on available site capacity and operational constraints.

Charging that uses forecasts (prices, schedules, SoC, weather) to automatically plan optimal charging windows.

Electricity market where prices are set for delivery on the next day, typically in hourly blocks.

Electricity market for trading closer to real time, enabling adjustments after day-ahead prices are set.

Participation in wholesale electricity markets to buy (and sometimes sell) energy based on price signals.

Shifting or reducing electricity consumption in response to grid signals or price incentives.

A modernized electricity grid that uses digital control and two-way communication to balance supply and demand.

EU regulation that sets binding targets for the rollout and accessibility of alternative fuels infrastructure, including EV charging.

German legal framework that requires accurate, tamper-proof measurement and billing of electricity for EV charging.

A TCP/IP-based protocol used by grid operators for remote control and monitoring of grid-connected assets.