Ulasan Buku : Leading Change tulisan John Kotter oleh Dr. Ahmad Suki Che M. Ariff.

*Mengurus Perubahan dengan Bijak: Panduan Praktikal untuk Organisasi dan Komuniti*

Dalam dunia yang sentiasa berubah ini, salah satu kunci kejayaan bagi mana-mana organisasi atau komuniti adalah kemampuan untuk mengurus perubahan dengan berkesan. Kita sering mendengar kata-kata bahawa "perubahan adalah satu-satunya perkara yang kekal," tetapi bagaimana kita benar-benar boleh bersedia dan merangkul perubahan secara berkesan? Perubahan bukan sekadar satu cabaran; ia adalah peluang untuk berkembang, memperbaiki, dan menjadi lebih cekap dalam menghadapi dunia yang semakin kompetitif ini. Di sinilah terletaknya kepentingan pengurusan perubahan yang baik dan bijaksana, yang mampu memastikan kita tidak ketinggalan dan terus relevan.

Buku "Leading Change" oleh John Kotter merupakan salah satu buku terlaris dan paling berpengaruh dalam bidang pengurusan perubahan. Dalam buku ini, Kotter berkongsi lapan langkah penting yang perlu diambil oleh organisasi atau komuniti dalam memastikan perubahan berlaku dengan jayanya. Buku ini tidak sekadar mengemukakan teori, tetapi ia disampaikan dengan cara yang praktikal dan mudah untuk difahami. Ia sangat berguna bukan sahaja bagi pemimpin syarikat besar, malah bagi mereka yang ingin membawa perubahan positif dalam komuniti atau persekitaran kerja mereka. Setiap langkah yang disarankan dalam buku ini telah terbukti berkesan dan boleh membantu kita memahami betapa pentingnya kepimpinan yang proaktif dalam menghadapi perubahan.

Untuk membantu anda memahami dan menerapkan konsep-konsep ini, mari kita huraikan setiap langkah penting dalam mengurus perubahan. Setiap langkah dilengkapi dengan contoh praktikal yang boleh diterapkan di tempat kerja atau dalam komuniti anda. Dengan mengambil pendekatan ini, kita boleh meminimumkan rintangan dan memaksimumkan impak positif yang boleh dicapai melalui proses perubahan.

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*1. Mewujudkan Rasa Mendesak (Creating a Sense of Urgency)*

Perubahan tidak akan berlaku dengan sendiri. Ia memerlukan rasa mendesak, seolah-olah perubahan tersebut adalah sesuatu yang sangat penting dan tidak boleh ditangguhkan. Langkah pertama ini sangat penting kerana ia menetapkan momentum awal untuk perubahan. Rasa mendesak ini perlu diwujudkan di semua peringkat, dari pemimpin tertinggi sehingga pekerja paling bawah dalam organisasi. Apabila semua pihak merasakan bahawa perubahan adalah keperluan, maka proses perubahan akan lebih mudah dan lebih cepat diterima.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Analisis Persekitaran:* Lakukan penilaian tentang situasi semasa dalam organisasi anda. Kenal pasti ancaman atau peluang yang mungkin menjadi faktor pendorong kepada perubahan. Contohnya, persaingan daripada syarikat lain atau perkembangan teknologi terkini yang boleh memberikan kelebihan.

- *Berkomunikasi Secara Terbuka:* Kongsikan maklumat ini dengan semua anggota organisasi. Contohnya, jika anda ingin memperkenalkan teknologi baru dalam organisasi, jelaskan kepada pekerja bagaimana teknologi ini boleh meningkatkan produktiviti dan mengelakkan organisasi daripada ketinggalan. Berikan contoh konkrit dan data sokongan untuk menunjukkan impak positif perubahan tersebut.

- *Mendapatkan Sokongan Pemimpin:* Melibatkan pemimpin dalam organisasi yang mempunyai pengaruh besar untuk memberi sokongan moral dan meningkatkan tahap kesedaran terhadap keperluan perubahan. Sokongan pemimpin ini boleh mempengaruhi pekerja untuk lebih yakin dan percaya bahawa perubahan adalah jalan terbaik untuk mencapai kejayaan.

*2. Membentuk Pasukan yang Kuat (Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition)*

Tidak semua orang akan menyokong perubahan, jadi penting untuk membentuk sebuah pasukan yang kuat untuk memimpin perubahan. Pasukan ini seharusnya terdiri daripada individu-individu yang mempunyai kredibiliti dan semangat untuk membawa perubahan. Pasukan yang kuat ini akan menjadi tulang belakang kepada usaha untuk membawa perubahan dalam organisasi. Mereka berperanan untuk memandu, memberi inspirasi, dan mengatasi rintangan yang mungkin muncul sepanjang perjalanan perubahan.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Pilih Individu Berpengaruh:* Pastikan pasukan ini mempunyai ahli yang berpengaruh dalam kalangan pekerja. Mereka boleh membantu membawa perubahan dengan meyakinkan rakan sekerja mereka tentang kebaikan perubahan tersebut. Kepercayaan antara pekerja dan pasukan ini sangat penting untuk memastikan perubahan diterima secara menyeluruh.

- *Tetapkan Peranan Jelas:* Setiap ahli pasukan mesti tahu peranan dan tanggungjawab masing-masing. Contohnya, seorang ahli mungkin bertanggungjawab dalam latihan, sementara seorang lagi dalam menyebarkan maklumat. Peranan yang jelas akan memastikan semua aspek perubahan ditangani dengan baik tanpa sebarang kekeliruan.

- *Perkongsian Idea dan Strategi:* Adakan sesi perbincangan berkala untuk membincangkan kemajuan dan halangan yang dihadapi. Ini akan memastikan bahawa semua ahli pasukan mempunyai pemahaman yang sama dan mampu bekerjasama dengan lebih baik.

*3. Mencipta Visi dan Strategi (Creating a Vision for Change)*

Visi yang jelas adalah penting untuk memberikan gambaran kepada semua orang tentang ke mana arah yang ingin dituju. Strategi yang baik pula perlu dirangka untuk merealisasikan visi tersebut. Visi ini berperanan sebagai pemandu yang menunjukkan haluan yang perlu diambil, sementara strategi menyediakan cara untuk mencapai destinasi tersebut. Tanpa visi yang jelas, organisasi boleh kehilangan fokus dan tenaga dalam menghadapi perubahan.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Merangka Visi yang Ringkas dan Mudah Difahami:* Visi harus mudah untuk difahami oleh semua lapisan dalam organisasi. Contohnya, "Menjadi organisasi yang mesra digital dalam tempoh dua tahun akan datang." Visi ini harus memberi inspirasi dan memberikan rasa bangga kepada semua yang terlibat.

- *Merangka Strategi Berdasarkan Visi:* Tentukan langkah-langkah yang perlu diambil untuk mencapai visi tersebut, termasuk program latihan, kempen kesedaran, dan perubahan dalam proses kerja. Strategi perlu disusun secara terperinci, dengan mengambil kira semua sumber yang ada dan keperluan yang perlu dipenuhi.

- *Kaitkan dengan Matlamat Organisasi:* Pastikan visi tersebut selari dengan matlamat utama organisasi. Ini akan memastikan bahawa usaha untuk berubah adalah sebahagian daripada hala tuju jangka panjang organisasi.

*4. Menyampaikan Visi (Communicating the Vision)*

Visi dan strategi perlu dikomunikasikan dengan jelas dan kerap. Semua orang dalam organisasi perlu memahami dan menyokong arah perubahan tersebut. Komunikasi yang berkesan adalah kunci untuk mendapatkan komitmen dari semua pihak. Ia bukan sahaja perlu jelas, tetapi juga perlu diulang secara berkala agar mesejnya benar-benar difahami dan dihayati.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Komunikasi Berterusan:* Gunakan pelbagai medium seperti email, mesyuarat, buletin organisasi, dan video untuk menyampaikan visi. Setiap individu perlu faham bagaimana perubahan ini akan memberi manfaat kepada mereka. Pastikan bahawa maklumat yang disampaikan mudah diakses dan difahami oleh semua pihak.

- *Contoh Tindakan Kepimpinan:* Pemimpin juga perlu menunjukkan sokongan mereka kepada visi ini dengan memberi contoh dalam tindakan seharian mereka. Misalnya, menggunakan sistem baru dalam tugas harian untuk menunjukkan bahawa pemimpin juga komited kepada perubahan. Tindakan ini akan menggalakkan pekerja lain untuk mengikuti contoh tersebut.

- *Dengar Balik Pandangan:* Penting juga untuk mendengar maklum balas daripada pekerja mengenai visi tersebut. Dengan memahami kebimbangan atau cadangan mereka, organisasi boleh melakukan penyesuaian yang diperlukan untuk memastikan sokongan lebih menyeluruh.

*5. Menghapuskan Halangan (Removing Obstacles)*

Terdapat halangan-halangan yang perlu diatasi untuk memastikan perubahan berjalan lancar. Halangan ini boleh jadi orang, proses, atau struktur organisasi yang menghalang pergerakan ke arah perubahan. Menghapuskan halangan ini adalah kritikal untuk memastikan bahawa semua orang dapat bergerak seiring dengan hala tuju perubahan.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Kenal Pasti Halangan:* Lakukan kajian untuk mengenal pasti apakah halangan utama kepada perubahan. Sebagai contoh, mungkin terdapat pekerja yang tidak yakin dengan teknologi baru atau terdapat proses birokrasi yang memperlahankan perubahan.

- *Berikan Sokongan dan Latihan:* Adakan latihan untuk mengatasi ketakutan atau kekeliruan. Berikan sokongan secara individu kepada mereka yang memerlukan. Berikan juga mentor atau rakan sebaya yang boleh membantu mereka yang memerlukan bimbingan tambahan.

- *Penyesuaian Proses:* Jika terdapat proses-proses yang menjadi halangan, pertimbangkan untuk membuat penyesuaian atau memperbaiki proses tersebut. Contohnya, jika prosedur yang ada terlalu kompleks, ringkaskan supaya ia lebih mudah difahami dan diikuti oleh semua orang.

*6. Mewujudkan Kemenangan Kecil (Creating Short-Term Wins)*

Sangat penting untuk mencipta kemenangan kecil sepanjang proses perubahan. Ini akan memberi motivasi kepada semua anggota organisasi untuk terus terlibat dalam perubahan. Kemenangan kecil ini adalah bukti nyata bahawa usaha yang dijalankan berbaloi dan memberikan hasil yang positif.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Sasaran Kecil dan Realistik:* Tetapkan sasaran yang boleh dicapai dalam jangka masa pendek. Sebagai contoh, sasaran dalam enam bulan pertama mungkin untuk meningkatkan penggunaan teknologi baru oleh 30% pekerja. Sasaran ini perlu realistik agar semua pihak dapat melihat hasilnya dengan jelas.

- *Rayakan Kejayaan:* Raikan setiap kejayaan kecil dengan memberi penghargaan atau pengiktirafan kepada individu atau pasukan yang terlibat. Ini dapat meningkatkan semangat dan komitmen mereka. Penghargaan boleh dalam bentuk sijil, hadiah kecil, atau pengiktirafan dalam mesyuarat organisasi.

- *Dokumentasi Kejayaan:* Rekod dan dokumentasikan setiap kejayaan kecil ini. Ini bukan sahaja boleh digunakan sebagai bahan motivasi, tetapi juga sebagai rujukan untuk membina strategi seterusnya.

*7. Membina atas Kejayaan (Building on Change)*

Setelah mencapai kemenangan kecil, jangan berhenti di situ. Perubahan perlu diteruskan agar dapat memberi impak yang berpanjangan. Setiap kejayaan kecil harus dijadikan asas untuk mencapai kejayaan yang lebih besar, dan seterusnya memastikan perubahan dapat berakar umbi dalam organisasi.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Analisis Kejayaan dan Penambahbaikan:* Lihat kembali kejayaan yang dicapai dan kenal pasti apa yang boleh diperbaiki. Contohnya, jika teknologi baru telah berjaya digunakan, tanya apa lagi sokongan yang diperlukan untuk mempercepatkan penggunaan oleh lebih ramai staf. Ini memastikan bahawa proses perubahan sentiasa berada dalam keadaan dinamik dan responsif terhadap keperluan.

- *Buat Pembaharuan Lanjutan:* Jangan terlalu cepat berpuas hati. Teruskan menambah baik sistem atau proses untuk memastikan perubahan terus relevan dan efektif. Sentiasa lakukan penilaian semula untuk mengenal pasti peluang-peluang baru untuk berkembang dan memperbaiki.

- *Galakkan Inovasi:* Sokong pekerja yang mempunyai idea-idea untuk memperbaiki lagi proses kerja. Berikan mereka ruang untuk bereksperimen dan mencuba cara baru dalam meningkatkan keberkesanan organisasi.

*8. Menjadikan Perubahan sebagai Budaya (Anchoring Change in the Culture)*

Perubahan yang berjaya perlu diintegrasikan dalam budaya organisasi. Ia harus menjadi sebahagian daripada cara kerja yang biasa, bukan sekadar sesuatu yang berlaku sekali-sekala. Untuk memastikan perubahan tersebut berpanjangan, ia perlu diresapi ke dalam budaya organisasi dan menjadi sebahagian daripada identiti organisasi.

*Langkah Praktikal:*

- *Penilaian Prestasi:* Masukkan elemen perubahan ke dalam penilaian prestasi pekerja. Contohnya, nilai bagaimana setiap pekerja telah menyumbang kepada perubahan. Ini akan memastikan semua orang terus memberikan tumpuan kepada objektif perubahan.

- *Latihan dan Pengukuhan:* Pastikan latihan berterusan diberikan agar budaya baru ini kekal. Contohnya, adakan bengkel secara berkala untuk mengukuhkan kemahiran yang diperlukan dalam perubahan. Latihan ini juga membantu dalam memastikan pekerja baru memahami budaya organisasi yang mengutamakan perubahan.

- *Penghargaan kepada Nilai Baharu:* Berikan penghargaan kepada mereka yang memperlihatkan usaha untuk menjadikan budaya perubahan ini sebahagian daripada kerja seharian mereka. Ini akan menggalakkan lebih ramai pekerja lain untuk mengambil sikap yang sama.

*Penutup*

Pendek kata, buku "Leading Change" oleh John Kotter memberikan panduan yang sangat praktikal dan berguna untuk mengurus perubahan. Setiap langkah yang dikongsikan adalah realistik dan boleh diterapkan dalam pelbagai situasi, sama ada di organisasi besar atau komuniti kecil. Ia bukan sahaja memberi inspirasi, tetapi juga memberikan kerangka kerja yang jelas untuk memimpin perubahan dengan penuh keyakinan dan berjaya.

Mengurus perubahan bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah, tetapi dengan pendekatan yang betul, ia dapat dilakukan dengan lebih berkesan. Perubahan memerlukan usaha, dedikasi, dan semangat daripada semua peringkat dalam organisasi. Jika anda ingin membawa perubahan positif dalam organisasi atau komuniti anda, jangan ragu untuk menggunakan panduan Kotter ini sebagai rujukan. Mulakan dengan mewujudkan rasa mendesak, bentuk pasukan yang kuat, dan teruskan dengan langkah-langkah praktikal untuk menjadikan perubahan sebagai satu budaya yang lestari. Dengan usaha yang konsisten dan sokongan semua pihak, perubahan yang bermakna pasti dapat dicapai.

10Base-T1S Automotive Ethernet vs. 10Base-T1L Industrial Ethernet

 10Base-T1S, a variant of Automotive Ethernet, and 10Base-T1L, also known as Industrial Ethernet, are Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) protocols described in IEEE 802.cg standards. Both offer the same 10 Mb/s communication speed using a single, unshielded twisted pair (T1), but differ in specifics of reach, encoding schemes and topologies, as well as their principal applications.

10Base-T1S (S stands for short reach) has a reach of up to 25 m, more than enough for in-vehicle applications. 10Base-T1L (L stands for long reach) allows for the same 10 Mb/s speed over a reach of 1,000 m. 

10Base-T1S uses Differential Manchester Encoding (DME). With DME, the clock is embedded and the data is sampled between the clocked edges. Instead of a specific logic-high/low voltage level, the bits are based on the presence or absence of any transition within the clock period. Because it lacks a DC component, this encoding scheme allows electrical connections easy galvanic isolation, ensuring the signal never remains at logic low or logic high for an extended period of time, which allows for versatility in a number of automotive applications.

Figure 2: PAM3 Encoding.

10Base-T1L utilizes PAM3 Pulse Amplitude Modulation encoding. In PAM3 signal modulation, information is encoded in the amplitude of a series of signal pulses. This results in simplified receiver and transmitter design, easy transmission over a single pair of wires, more bits transmitted in a symbol, and higher data rate links. 

These two protocols are further differentiated by the topologies they employ. 10Base-T1S supports half-duplex and full-duplex communication, allowing either a point-to-point direct connection between two nodes, or use of a multidrop topology with up-to-eight nodes connected on a single 25 m bus segment. 10Base-T1L supports a full-duplex link that can include up to 10 connectors. 

To better understand the differences between these two protocols, we can explore the ways these standards are applied in the growing sectors of Automotive and Industrial Automation. 

As in-vehicle electronics grow in volume and complexity to support the goal for autonomous driving, we find 10Base-T1S Automotive Ethernet used to enhance In-Vehicle Network (IVN) architecture. It is most commonly used to connect sensors, microphones and speakers to powertrain, car body and infotainment Engine Control Units (ECUs). Because 10Base-T1S provides a higher bandwidth, it allows IVN applications to operate with higher quality data compared to some of the legacy IVN protocols such as MOST, CAN, LIN and FlexRay. Plus, a combination of 10Base-T1S and other Automotive Ethernet protocols allows a single software framework to be used from the lowest to highest speed ranges. As discussed in other posts on this blog, standard Ethernet is not suited for use in IVN, partly because the 100 m reach of standard Ethernet is unnecessary for a vehicle, and overall, the technology does not hold up to the stringent EMC and EMI requirements of the automotive industry.   

By enabling point-to-point communication over distances up to 1000 m, 10Base-T1L provides a framework for industrial control and safety systems. In the context of Operational Technology (OT) networks, such as Remote, Intelligent Building, Industrial and Process Industries applications, 10Base-T1L replaces legacy, built-for-purpose protocols that pose challenges because they require complex gateway devices to communicate between domains, and experts trained to manage and maintain such outdated networks. By bringing the benefits of the single twisted pair to the factory floor, 10Base-T1L allows easy integration and standardization in areas of building and industrial automation. 

Significance of Open Protocols in Empowering E-Mobility:OpenADR, OCPI and OCPP

Electric Mobility is revolutionary transforming the way we move & the energy sources we rely on for transportation. At the heart of this transformation lie open protocols, a crucial but often overlooked aspect of e-mobility. Open protocols in e-mobility play a crucial role in fostering a connected and accessible electric vehicle ecosystem. They enable different stakeholders, including EV manufacturers, charging station operators, and service providers, to work together harmoniously, promoting the growth and sustainability of e-mobility on a global scale.

In this article, we will introduce you to the world of open protocols in e-mobility, exploring their importance, common types, benefits, challenges, and their role in shaping the future of sustainable transportation.

What is e-mobility ?

E-mobility, short for electric mobility, refers to the use of electric power to propel vehicles, ranging from electric cars and bikes to buses and scooters. This shift towards electric vehicles is driven by the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat climate change, and improve air quality in urban areas. E-mobility not only helps in achieving these environmental goals but also promises lower operating costs and increased energy efficiency.

Common Open Protocols in electric mobility

“Open Protocols” refers to standardized sets of rules and communication methods that enable different components of the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem to interact and exchange data effectively. They are the language that allows various components of the EV ecosystem to communicate seamlessly, ensuring efficient and reliable charging processes.

Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP):

OCPP is one of the most widely used protocols for communication between charging stations and central management systems. It defines a set of rules that govern the interaction between charging points and cloud based charging management software platform, allowing for flexibility and compatibility between charging stations of different manufacturers.

Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI):

OCPI is another important open protocol that facilitates communication between charging station operators and e-mobility service providers. It streamlines processes like billing and real-time data sharing, ensuring a smooth user experience. The OCPI protocol is managed and maintained by the EVRoaming Foundation, ensuring its free availability.

Open InterCharge Protocol (OICP):

OICP is a protocol that focuses on interoperability between different e-mobility service providers. It standardizes communication between charging networks, promoting seamless roaming for EV users, regardless of their service provider. The Open Intercharge Protocol (OICP) has been developed by Hubject, a group of German automotive and energy companies, in 2012.

Open Clearing House Protocol (OCHP):

OCHP plays a pivotal role in creating a clearinghouse for charging data. It enables different charging station operators to share data securely and efficiently, improving transparency and reliability in the e-mobility ecosystem.

eMobility Inter-operation Protocol (eMIP)?

MIP is an EV roaming protocol that enables communication between MSPs and CPOs via a roaming hub. eMIP is a protocol designed to facilitate cross-border charging. It ensures that EV drivers can access charging infrastructure in different countries without facing compatibility issues or excessive fees.

Open Smart Charging Protocol (OSCP)?

Open Smart Charging Protocol (OSCP) is an open communication protocol between a charge point management system and an energy management system. OSCP empowers charging stations to dynamically adapt charging rates based on factors like grid demand, energy prices, and user preferences, optimizing the charging process for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Open ADR?

OpenADR is an open, secure, and two-way information exchange model facilitating automated demand response (DR) actions that help balance grid supply and demand or mitigate high electricity costs. It establishes a standardized method for communication between utility companies and charging systems. OpenADR enables utilities to send signals to EV charging stations, directing them to adjust charging rates based on grid conditions, demand fluctuations, and price signals. This protocol promotes grid stability, minimizes energy costs for EV owners, and supports the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid

ISO 15118?

ISO 15118 is an international standard that covers the communication between EVs and charging infrastructure. It enables secure, automated, and bi-directional communication, allowing EVs to negotiate charging parameters with the charging station, optimizing charging processes. 

Benefits of Using Open Protocols:

Open protocols define a common language or framework that allows different entities within the e-mobility ecosystem to communicate seamlessly. This communication can involve tasks like authorizing charging sessions, transmitting charging rates, providing real-time status updates, and facilitating payment transactions. The major benefits of using Open Protocols include:

Interoperability:

One of the primary benefits of open protocols is interoperability. They break down the barriers between different charging stations, service providers, and EVs, allowing users to charge their vehicles seamlessly, regardless of their location or service provider.

Reduced Operating Costs:

Open protocols promote healthy competition and prevent vendor lock-in, leading to cost-effective solutions for e-mobility stakeholders. This cost efficiency ultimately benefits EV drivers and accelerates the adoption of electric vehicles.

Scalability:

As the e-mobility ecosystem continues to expand, open protocols provide the scalability required to accommodate the growing number of EVs and charging stations. This adaptability ensures that the infrastructure can keep pace with the increasing demand.

Future-Proofing:

Open protocols are designed to evolve with the changing landscape of e-mobility. They can incorporate new features and technologies, ensuring that the infrastructure remains relevant and future-proof.

In conclusion, open protocols in e-mobility play a crucial role in fostering a connected and accessible electric vehicle ecosystem. It enables different stakeholders like EV companies, CPO’s to work together harmoniously and promote e-mobility on a global scale.

Electric vehicles: Threat or an opportunity to the grid?

 Electric Vehicles (EV) reached an important milestone in 2022, with sales hitting 10% of the global vehicle market, driven by strong sales in Europe and China.

Governments are jumping on board to support the EV revolution, investing in charging infrastructure, and pushing it as part of the climate change agenda. As one of the biggest EV charging markets, the US is well-funded for development. The Biden Administration announced more than $7 billion in funding for the country’s charging infrastructure as part of its bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021.

While the UK Government published its Electric Vehicle infrastructure Strategy last year to set out its vision and action plan for the rollout of an EV charging infrastructure, with a confirmed £1.6bn of public funding for charging points.

This is positive news in terms of driving a cleaner, greener world, but what are the challenges, particularly when it comes to the impact on the electricity grid?

First, let’s look at the need for a charging infrastructure that’s fit for purpose. With a proposed ban in the UK on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2023 (currently under review) we can expect to see EV sales accelerate in the next few years. But despite Government charging infrastructure plans, research by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded that the UK would need 10 times more EV charging points by 2030 if it is to meet its net zero emissions target.

The Government recently announced an additional £56m in public and industry funding for increasing EV charge points across the country, expanding the existing Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) plans and effectively levelling up the charging infrastructure.

Legislation might be pushing for EV adoption, but the CMA’s conclusions suggested that concerns over charge points was still putting people off going electric. Charge points need to be easy to find, with up-to-date information on availability, clear pricing structures and accessibility. Once people are confident there’s a viable network of fast charging points in places they need them, they will make the switch.

The second challenge is the growing demand for electricity. If every driver goes electric, grid capacity will be put under huge pressure, particularly when people come home in the evening and want to recharge their car at home. With peak use from 4pm to 6pm, the grid will have to balance this demand for power.

Electricity suppliers could look to incentivise customers to charge their vehicles outside of peak periods, offering lower rates. Showing how people can save money, especially during a cost of living crisis, will be key.

At the beginning of this year, the DESNZ and Ofgem published plans for domestic EV charging. The Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Action Plan outlines steps to unlock the power of EV charging, offering people the chance to charge their vehicles and power their homes using excess electricity stored in their car, or selling it back to the grid.

Car batteries have a surprising amount of power stored in them, offering hours of energy capacity. In the future, new generations of EVs will be designed for this purpose – to serve as an additional source of backup power, a concept already being explored in the US.

Ford is working with utility operators and service providers to pilot both vehicle to grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) programs. In two schemes, Duke Energy will use EVs to help manage the grid, one to reduce demand for electricity at peak times, and one to increase resilience for residential consumers.

The EV acts as a mobile energy storage unit that uses electricity, but also supplies it when demand is high. The future vision is that thousands, even hundreds of thousands of EVs could form a virtual power station at people’s’ homes, places of work and even on the move.

All of this complicates things of course. With more distributed energy resources - electric vehicles, as well as solar panels, wind turbines, storage devices and so on - the grid will become even more complex. Communication between suppliers and customers therefore becomes increasingly important.

Improved and standardised information exchange on pricing, energy consumption and capacity is the basis for effective load control, enabling energy suppliers to respond flexibly to fluctuating demand. Distribution System Operators need to communicate this information to customers, quickly and securely using open standards like OpenADR.

As Jaguar Land Rover announces plans to build a flagship EV battery factor in the UK, investing £4bn in the new site, it sets the intention for the industry as a whole. Change is on the way and electrification is the way forward.

We have some problems to solve – from the increasing load on the grid to the automation of load control - but funding, development, and innovation in charging infrastructure and EVs will set us on the right track to help meet these challenges.

Comforts Vs Growth Zone

 

What is OCPI and Why Is It Important for EV Operators?

 The Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol is an open standard roaming protocol linking Mobility Services providers (MSP), Energy Service Providers (ESP), Navigation Service Providers (NSP), and other stakeholders with Charge Point Operators (CPO). It simplifies roaming between charging networks, letting EV operators use multiple stations without needing several accounts. This helps them find the best charging options.

OCPI standardizes communication between charging networks and shares information, ensuring everyone has the same data. This streamlines fleet management and billing processes. It also supports token exchange, location and status updates, and billing and payment processing.

OCPI is important because it simplifies EV operators' access to various charging networks and ensures equal access to data. This makes managing fleets more efficient and cost-effective, saving time and money in the long run. 

On a global level, OCPI is being endorsed or adopted by governments, local and national initiatives, and companies including:

• United States: The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance is pressing the US government to adopt OCPI and OCPP as standard changing protocols. 
• United Kingdom: In 2022, the UK government Secretary for State for Transport proposed that OCPI should be adopted as a standard protocol to enable reliable and accessible EV charging.
• European Union: evRoaming4EU is an international project that involves organizations from Austria, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. The primary goal of this collaboration is to enhance roaming services for electric vehicle (EV) drivers and improve transparency by utilizing the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol.

In this article, we will explain what OCPI and how it works in more detail, and outline its importance for EV fleets and charging point operators.

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What Is OCPI?

OCPI, or Open Charge Point Interface, is an open communication protocol specifically designed for electric vehicle (EV) charging. Its purpose is to make it easier for EV drivers to find and use charging stations by facilitating communication between charging stations and multiple service providers.

OCPI is a useful standard in the EV charging industry because it promotes open communication and interoperability between charging stations and service providers. This means that EV drivers can find and use charging stations more easily and quickly.

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How Does OCPI Work?

OCPI works by providing a standardized set of rules and guidelines that allow different EV charging software systems to communicate with each other using APIs. APIs are protocols, routines, and tools that standardize the way different software applications interact with each other.

OCPI allows for the free exchange of data, including locations, tokens, tariffs, and sessions, between the parties. OCPI provides fault-tolerant mechanisms for communication, allowing EV drivers to have real-time knowledge of available and unavailable charging points. The protocol also allows for direct connections between parties and can connect a large number of parties through one or more OCPI hubs.

EV charging software systems can use OCPI to communicate seamlessly, regardless of the type or brand of charging station or service provider. This ensures that EV drivers can use different charging stations from various providers and still have a consistent and convenient experience. 

In other words, OCPI makes it possible for different charging stations and service providers to "speak the same language," enabling a more user-friendly and convenient EV charging experience for drivers.

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An Example Flow of OCPI in Practice:

To understand how OCPI works in practice, let's consider a simplified example flow:

1. The driver initiates a charging session on a charge point hardware.
2. The charging point sends status information (e.g., "charging") to the charging management system (CMS).
3. The CMS confirms the status and informs the payment system through OCPI.
4. The payment system authorizes the payment, and the charging session continues until completion.

It's important to note that the flow of OCPI can vary depending on the use cases, but the general process remains the same.

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What Data is Exchanged with OCPI?

OCPI facilitates communication between different software systems by exchanging data and tokens related to EV charging. Some of the data that is exchanged through OCPI includes:

• Address and location information of charge points (including geo-location)
• Electric information of charge point hardware (current type, voltage, etc.)
• Charge point's status information (e.g., if the charger is in use or available)
• Credential information to authenticate the two backend software systems (similar to passwords or tokens)
• Remote command to start and stop a charging session
• Historical charging session data (e.g., Charging Detail Records (CDR))
• Tariff information (costs per kWh, costs depending on the time of the day)

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Real-Life Examples – Two Core Use Cases

Use Case A

Use Case A involves connecting a charging management system with a third-party payment system, such as a fueling card system or a mobile app for public EV charging. This use case is particularly important because it enables EV drivers to pay for charging services seamlessly and conveniently, regardless of the charging station or service provider they are using.

For instance, a driver arrives at a public charging station and wants to charge their EV. They use a mobile app or fueling card to start the charging session and pay for the service. The charging management system verifies their payment with the third-party payment system and initiates the charging session. The driver can then charge their vehicle, and the payment is automatically processed through the third-party payment system.

Use Case A facilitates the adoption of EVs by making charging more accessible and convenient for drivers through seamless payment processing and interoperability between different charging and payment systems. This also promotes competition and innovation in the EV charging industry, allowing new players to enter the market and offer value-added services such as payment processing and mobile app integration.

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Use Case B

Use Case B involves connecting a charging system to a large roaming service, which acts as a middle-man between different charging networks. This use case is important because it enables EV drivers to access charging services from different networks and service providers using a single account, making the charging process more convenient and streamlined. It is similar to a mobile phone roaming service.

For instance, an EV driver wants to travel from one city to another and needs to charge their vehicle along the way. They have an account with a large roaming service that partners with multiple charging networks and providers. Using the roaming service's mobile app or website, the driver searches for available charging stations along their route. The roaming service provides information on available charging stations, pricing, and other details, allowing the driver to choose the best option. The driver initiates the charging session and pays for the service using their roaming service account. The roaming service verifies the payment with the charging network and initiates the charging session. Once the vehicle is fully charged, the driver can continue their journey.

Use Case B can help to develop more extensive and efficient charging networks, which are essential for the widespread adoption of EVs.

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Advantages of OCPI in EV Charging

There are several key reasons why the Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) is important in the world of electric vehicle (EV) charging.

• Payment Processing: Many charging management systems (CMS) aim to improve charger uptime and energy management. However, payment systems can differ between states and countries, making it difficult to ensure consistent payment processing and interoperability between different networks. OCPI solves this issue by providing a common language that allows CMS to connect seamlessly with different payment systems and service providers. This ensures that everyone uses the same data format, promoting open communication and interoperability between charging systems

• Easy-to-implement: Another significant advantage of OCPI is that it is based on APIs, which are widely used and well-known in the software industry. This means that engineers can work with OCPI easily without requiring any special education or training. This helps to reduce the barriers to entry for new players in the EV charging industry, promoting competition and innovation and helping to drive down costs for EV drivers.

• Interoperability: By providing a common language for different charging networks and payment systems, OCPI promotes open communication and interoperability. This helps to simplify the charging process for drivers and promote the development of more extensive and efficient charging networks.

• International Standards: OCPI is an international standard that is recognized by governments and industry organizations around the world. This means that it provides a common framework for EV charging systems across different regions and promotes consistency and interoperability.

• Scalability: OCPI is designed to be scalable and flexible, allowing it to accommodate the growth and evolution of the EV charging industry. This means that it can adapt to new technologies, business models, and market demands, ensuring that it remains relevant and effective in the years to come.

• Cross-Network Roaming: OCPI facilitates cross-network roaming, allowing EV drivers to access charging services from different networks and service providers using a single account. This makes the charging process more convenient and streamlined for drivers, promoting the widespread adoption of EVs.

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What Is The Difference Between OCPI and OCPP?

OCPP and OCPI are two important standards in the world of electric vehicle (EV) charging, but they serve different purposes.

• OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is a standard for communication between the charging point and the charging management system (CMS). It allows the CMS to control and monitor the charging process, access data on energy usage and charging session details, and receive error codes and other relevant information from the charging point. OCPP uses a WebSocket for bidirectional communication.

• OCPI (Open Charge Point Interface) is a standard for communication between the CMS and other software systems, such as payment systems or roaming platforms. OCPI does not communicate with the charging point directly but enables the CMS to exchange data with other software systems using APIs.

Despite their differences, OCPP and OCPI share some similarities. They both deal with similar types of data, including charge point status, energy usage, charging session details, and error codes. However, OCPI goes beyond EV charging point information and includes data on energy tariffs, parking lot information, and other relevant details.

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To learn how smart charging and OCPP work together to optimize your charging operations, read our report, "What Is OCPP and How To Use It For Smart Charging."

Summary

The Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) protocol offers several benefits, including simplifying the charging process for drivers, promoting interoperability between different charging networks and payment systems, and reducing barriers to entry for new players in the EV charging industry.

OCPI provides a common language for different charging networks and payment systems, streamlining fleet management and billing processes and saving time and money in the long run. It is an international standard recognized worldwide, promoting consistency and interoperability. 

Charging point operators can use both OCPI and OCPP to develop more extensive and efficient charging networks, ultimately driving the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

(Credit to https://www.ampcontrol.io/post/what-is-ocpi-and-why-is-it-important-for-ev-operators )

Open Source And Patents: Everything You Need to Know

Open Source licenses and patents give software developers two very different ways to share their work. 

With an Open Source license, the original owner still retains distribution and sharing rights, but anybody can look at and modify a program's code and software. It's important that you understand the difference between patents, copyrights, and Open Source licenses to ensure your work is adequately protected.

What Is the Difference Between a Software Patent and Copyright?

Unlike the holder of an Open Source license, the owner of a patent has exclusive rights over the patented software. No one else can make, use, modify, or sell patented software, and the source code is not available to the public.

Patent rights give the holder control over who uses software and for what purpose. Though software developers can protect their work using both copyrights and patents, copyrights only protect the code itself. Patents, however, protect the program's functionality.

Patents are better than copyrights for software developers because they protect the program regardless of the code and language used. In comparison, copyrights aren't very practical for developers. If you want to release Open Source software while retaining some rights, a copyright only gives you power over someone who steals your work verbatim.

This is because a copyright doesn't protect the specific function of a software program. If a person finds a way to execute the same function using different code or a different language, the original creator of the software won't have any recourse with a copyright alone.

By securing copyrights and patents, software developers have some flexibility for their protections. For example, the software owner can grant users unlimited rights, some rights, or deny rights to use the software. Moreover, if a developer wants to release their work with an Open Source license, they can do so with a patent or copyright to retain some rights. This ensures that other users only access and modify the work under certain conditions.

Patents for software, however, do have their limits. Be mindful of the following before moving forward with a patent:

Patents protect the program's function but not the code.

The filer must define the process that the patent protects in the patent application.

Patents protect software only in terms of strict liability.

Also note that a copyright protects your code from being lifted by another user, but you don't have to officially register to enjoy these protections. However, people still file copyrights to enjoy other benefits, such as retaining official proof of ownership.

What Is an Open Source License?

Distributing software under an Open Source license allows anyone to view, use, and modify the code behind the computer software. Users may modify the source code without permission, but the developer can exclude them from publishing their changes or only permit additions under certain conditions.

An Open Source license may affect some patent protections, but a person can still apply for patent rights to safeguard their software. If you want to retain some patent protections while still sharing your work with others through an Open Source license, consider working with a patent attorney to confirm that you have the protections you need.

Most Open Source licenses also include a reciprocal patent agreement. This agreement outlines things like rights granted in perpetuity, whether recipients can redistribute the work, and the conditions that they must meet when they do distribute the work. It also ensures that the protections a license provides extend to the contributions that people make to a project.

What Is the Gnu Public License?

The Gnu Public License (GPL) is an Open Source license stipulating that any distributions of the licensed software are also protected.

The GPL provides a list of copyright protections to the original software developer. However, the license permits other users to copy and distribute the software and make and publish works based on the software. In turn, users must release their changes under the GPL and make the adjustments in their source code available to other users.

Many companies and popular software programs, such as the Linux operating system, use the GPL. This gives users access to a vast body of knowledge from other developers and incentivizes them to continue improving the software.

If you need help with Open Source licensing and patents, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel only accepts the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.

Upgrade to OCPP 2.0.1: The key to advancing the EV charging infrastructure

As the popularity of electric vehicles grows, so does the need for reliable and easily accessible charging infrastructure. Open standards, such as the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), are a crucial component in the advancement of EV charging infrastructure and play a crucial role in promoting interoperability between hardware and software providers, enabling diverse players to participate in the market.

OCPP 2.0.1 is the protocol of the future that you can't afford to ignore, with benefits for both charge point operators and EV drivers. In this blog, we'll explore the enhancements in OCPP 2.0.1 and how they can help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing EV charging market.

OCPP 1.6 vs OCPP 2.0.1

Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is a communication standard that ensures interoperability between the electric vehicle charging station and the central backend management system. OCPP 1.6 has been a reliable and widely adopted solution for EV charging networks for some time. However, the emergence of new technologies and the growing demand for advanced monitoring and increased stability have led to the development of OCPP 2.0.1

OCPP 2.0.1 provides advanced smart charging capabilities and control features for utilities, Charge Point Operators (CPO), and EV owners. This version includes several enhancements, such as the support of the ISO 15118 standard for secure communication between the charging point and the electric vehicle. In addition, OCPP 2.0.1 offers a wider range of smart charging functionalities, giving utilities, CPOs, and EVSE owners greater control over the charging process.

While OCPP 1.6 is a well-understood solution that is sufficient for today's use cases, OCPP 2.0.1 is seen as the protocol of the future. As most manufacturers and service providers plan to shift to OCPP 2.0.1 in the coming years, few charge point providers already market charge points based on this protocol.

Being an advanced version of the OCPP protocol, OCPP 2.0.1 provides several improvements and new features over its predecessor, OCPP 1.6, that you need to understand.

Device Model

One of the important improvements coming with OCPP 2.0.1 is the Device Model which is a game-changer for charge point operators, offering a new level of control and monitoring over charging infrastructure.

Predictive maintenance

The Device Model offers charge point operators a configurable and well-structured reporting system for charge point statuses that can be tailored to their specific needs. This is especially beneficial for larger CPOs, who can closely monitor key variables in the charge point to anticipate and prevent potential failures. With this feature, CPOs can receive notifications and promptly address any issues if the charge point's metrics, such as FanSpeed or temperature, exceed a certain limit, ensuring optimal performance.

Enhanced data monitoring

But that's not all! OCPP 2.0.1 has another exciting feature – customisable event notifications. With this feature, the central management system can subscribe to specific variables and receive updates only when there is a change in those variables. This is a vast improvement over OCPP 1.6, which can be resource-intensive since it only supports periodic notifications, and has to process all the data continuously.

It’s important to note that the Device Model’s functionality is highly dependent on manufacturer implementations. While there is a list of standardised variables and components in the appendices of OCPP 2.0.1 manufacturers have the freedom to decide what components they want to publish via the Device Model. For charge point operators, it’s essential to maintain a close collaboration with manufacturers to ensure that charge points will support the monitoring of various essential components such as fans, temperature, signal strength, and more.

Setting and displaying tariffs and costs on charging stations

Another important improvement for CPOs is the ability to set and display tariff and cost information to EV drivers in their own language at the charging stations, making charging more transparent and user-friendly. This feature simplifies the charging process for operators and drives the adoption of electric vehicles.

Configuring charging station display messages

OCPP 2.0.1 enables charge point operators to customise messages displayed on charging stations. These messages can show the applicable tariff before a driver begins charging, the cost incurred during a charging session, and the total cost. It's worth noting that in some countries, this feature will be mandatory to comply with future regulations. Therefore, it's crucial for EV charging stations to incorporate this feature to ensure they meet regulatory requirements.

Displaying tariff and cost information to EV drivers will increase transparency and trust in the charging process. By showing the applicable tariff before a driver starts charging, drivers can make informed decisions and avoid unexpected charges. Moreover, by showing the running cost during a charging transaction and the final total cost, drivers can monitor their expenses and plan accordingly.

Enabling credit card payments at charge points

This not only improves the user experience but also eliminates the need for charge point manufacturers to use credit card terminals to set prices, simplifying the charging process and reducing potential errors. It also simplifies the charging process for operators. Currently, some manufacturers use credit card terminals to set prices, which requires additional hardware and software configurations. Using OCPP 2.0.1, charge point operators can configure tariffs and costs directly from their charge point management system (CPMS).

Making EV charging effortless with ISO 15118 integration

Charging your EV will be so much easier! With OCPP 2.0.1's support for ISO 15118, EV drivers will be able to enjoy seamless and secure charging with Plug & Charge technology.

Plug & Charge

OCPP 2.0.1 plays a crucial role in the success of Plug&Charge technology by supporting ISO 15118 and its communication protocols, making EV charging more accessible and convenient for EV drivers. With the help of OCPP 2.0.1, the charging station and EV can communicate directly, eliminating the need for any external identification or authentication methods, such as RFID cards or charging apps. This allows for seamless automated communication and billing processes, making EV charging effortless and hassle-free. Plug&Charge technology, combined with OCPP 2.0.1, is not only beneficial for EV drivers and homeowners but also for public locations such as workplaces and charging stations, making EV charging more accessible and user-friendly.

Effortless prioritisation of critical loads with Smart Charging

A significant improvement in OCPP 2.0.1 is the possibility for the EV driver to receive more accurate information. By collecting data from the car, such as State of Charge (SOC), charging speed, kWh limit, and pick-up time, Smart Charging can provide more accurate estimates of charging time, when the car will be fully charged and ready to be picked up, eliminating the need for constant app-checking.

OCPP 2.0.1 also facilitates direct Smart Charging inputs from Energy Management Systems (EMS) or Distribution System Operators (DSO) to a charging station. This allows for the prioritisation of critical loads during high grid demand and supports integrated Smart Charging via ISO 15118, enhancing communication and security. With OCPP 2.0.1, EVs can communicate the requested energy amount in kWh, resulting in more grid-friendly, secure, and convenient charging.

Compared to its predecessor, OCPP 1.6, OCPP 2.0.1 has several advantages, including the ability to request a specific amount of power needed by the charging station. OCPP 1.6, on the other hand, only provides the State of Charge, which limits charging event management. With the growing demand for EV charging and the introduction of Vehicle-to-grid communication, which requires bidirectional and specific smart communication, OCPP 2.0.1 is becoming increasingly critical.

The safer protocol for EV charging communication

The OCPP 2.0.1 protocol offers improved security features compared to its predecessor, making it a more secure communication channel between EV charging management systems and charging stations. The protocol uses encryption at the protocol level, eliminating the need for a VPN connection or any third party for secure communication. New security profiles for authentication, secure firmware update, security logging, and security event log notifications provide a higher level of safety as demand for more secure communication channels increases, it's likely that charge points will soon be required to support these added security levels.

Improved data handling: Streamlined transactions and reduced data usage

As the market experiences rapid growth, efficient management of large amounts of data has become increasingly crucial. With the latest update of OCPP 2.0.1, significant improvements have been made in the data section. The transaction handling model has been simplified, resulting in a smoother user experience. Additionally, data compression is now mandatory on the server side, which benefits CPOs with charge points on mobile connections by reducing their need for data plans.

The road ahead: implementation of the OCPP 2.0.1

While the OCPP 2.0.1 protocol offers many benefits for EV charging networks, such as enhanced security, smart charging capabilities, and extensibility, it still has some limitations. For example, the protocol does not yet allow for personalised and visualised interfaces, and charging point operators cannot control the full user experience.

Despite these limitations, and the fact that OCPP 1.6 is still used in many charging systems, most manufacturers and service providers are planning to shift to OCPP 2.0.1 soon, recognising its potential to become the protocol of the future. The adoption of OCPP 2.0.1 may be slow, but its extensibility, enhanced security, and smart charging capabilities make it the better choice for EV charging networks.

Overall, as the EV market continues to grow, open communication standards like OCPP 2.0.1 that promote interoperability and innovation will be essential. While there may be some limitations, the adoption of OCPP 2.0.1 can bring significant benefits to EV charging networks, making it a step in the right direction.

OCPP 1.6 and OCPP 2.0 – which one is better for you?

OCPP is an open protocol for communication between Charge Points and a Central System that quickly became the industry standard. It is a universal solution accommodating any type of charging technique. Since its release in 2015 OCPP 1.6 was downloaded tens of thousands of times and its successor followed in its footsteps. OCPP 2.0 launched in April 2018 was implemented by thousands of users and its popularity is still growing.

Open Charge Point Protocol powers EV charging stations

OCPP stands for Open Charge Point Protocol and it is created by the Open Charge Alliance (OCA) in 2009. Today global consortium that promotes open standards has more than 220 participants from 43 countries on 5 continents. OCPP became the EV industry standard in just 6 years.

The Open Charge Point Protocol allows communication and data exchanges between electric vehicle charging points and central control systems.

As for now, most of the modern  EV chargers are OCPP 1.6 compatible, with the raising amount of station manufacturers delivering hardware ready for OCPP 2.0.1 in order to anticipate future requirements of the e-mobility market and to prevent the money loss caused by stranded assets. That’s one of the reasons why the majority of implementations are still based on OCPP 1.6.

Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) 1.6. - what made it revolutionary?

Open Charge Point Protocol OCPP 1.6 was the first OCA protocol to gain world wide recognition. It’s perceived as the all-in-one solution that to this day isn’t lacking anything important despite the huge technological progress that the EV industry made.

The feature launched within OCPP 1.6. that reshaped the perception of EV charging was smart charging. It allowed sending  Charging Profiles to the charging station – basically a foundation of today’s EV charging infrastructure. Central System gains the ability to influence the charging power or current of a specific EV, or energy consumption on an entire Charger / Charge Points network.

Smart Charging has three typical use cases:

load balancing

central smart charging

local smart charging

 

LOAD BALANCING

OCPP allows the management of internal load balancing within the Charge Point that modulates the charging schedule per connector. Every Charger is preconfigured with a fixed limit, mostly the maximum current of the connection thus it allows to get the most from the deal with the power distributor without the risk of an outage. CPO has the option to set up a minChargingRate that may be used to optimize energy distribution between the connectors. Clients wouldn’t be able to charge in an inefficient way and will be automatically redirected to other services based on a fitting balancing strategy.

CENTRAL SMART CHARGING

Central smart charging enables Central System to regulate the charging schedule, per transaction. Schedules allow staying within energy usage limits imposed by any external software on the entire network by controlling each Charger.

LOCAL SMART CHARGING

Charging limits on Chargers are controlled by the Local Controller instead of the Central System. This use case of smart charging describes limiting the amount of energy that can be used by a group of Charge Points (small network like a parking garage), to a given maximum. Another scenario would be receiving information by the Local Controller about the availability of power from a DSO or a local smart grid node.

WHAT WAS INTRODUCED IN OCPP 1.6?

Switch to JSON over WebSocket , reducing data usage and enabling OCPP communication through NAT routers.

Extra statuses, giving the CPO and EV drivers more information about the current status of charging.

Extra values are added, which creates the possibility to send new information to a Central System.

The TriggerMessage message is implemented, introducing the Central System to request information from the Charge Point.

Other functionalities making the implementation of the OCPP clearer, easier and available in steps.

OCPP 1.6 vs OCPP 2.0

The easiest comparison of the two versions would be as follows: OCPP 1.6 is a very good, well-understood solution that is sufficent for today’s usecases.. The OCPP 2.0.1 is the protocol of the future and as such, its adoption is slow.

Open Charge Point Protocol OCPP it’s now available in version 2.0.1 that incorporates improvements for inconveniences found in OCPP 2.0 during Plugfests and in the field. It’s a minor change, not introducing new features or functionalities. Updates have been made in the area of security, ISO 15118, Smart Charging and the extensibility of OCPP.

A short history of electric vehicles

Few Americans realize the market competition between electric vehicles (EVs) and the internal combustion engine (ICE) began in the early 1800s. The first EV was developed in 1828 by Robert Anderson, but EVs didn’t become commercially practical until the 1870. Pictured below is of an early EV. Not much different from a carriage, the early EVs had the same advantages EVs have today, "they [were] quiet, easy to drive and didn’t emit smelly pollutants."

Pictured here is one of the first electric cars, an 1834 Baker

EVs were one-third of all cars on American roads in the early 1900s but, the disadvantages of heavy, lead-acid batteries with limited range needing constant recharging prevented EVs from gaining more market share. In 1912 Henry Ford began to mass produce the Model-T and EVs couldn’t compete with the low-cost vehicle. By 1920, the number of EVs on the road began to decline and by 1935 the EV all but disappeared from American roads. 

Fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s, when gasoline prices skyrocket, America began to rediscover EVs. In 1974, GM developed the modern, urban EV and by 1975 SebringVanguard became the sixth largest US automaker with its wedge-shaped Citicar that had a range of driving 50-60 miles on one electric charge. Again, limited range and performance caused interest in EVs to wane, but the lack of emissions and greenhouse gases (GHGs) would cause a market resurgence in the early 1990s.

So where did Linux come from?

Although programming of the Linux core started in 1991, the design concepts were based on the time-tested UNIX operating system. UNIX was developed at Bell Telephone Laboratories in the late 1960s. The original architects of UNIX, working back when there were few operating systems, wanted to create an operating system that shared data, programs, and resources both efficiently and securely — an ideal that wasn’t available then (and is still sought after now). From there, UNIX evolved into many different versions; its current family tree is so complicated that it looks like a kudzu infestation. In 1991, Linus Torvalds was a computer science student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He wanted an operating system that was like the UNIX system that he’d grown fond of at the university, but both UNIX and the hardware it ran on were prohibitively expensive. 

A UNIX version called Minix was available for free, but it didn’t quite meet his needs. So, Torvalds studied Minix and then set out to write a new version himself. In his own words (recorded for posterity on the Internet because this was in an early version of an online chat room), his work was “just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like GNU.” Writing an operating system is no small task. Even after six months of hard work, Torvalds had made very little progress toward the general utility of the system. He posted what he had to the Internet — and found that many people shared his interest and curiosity. Before long, some of the brightest minds around the world were contributing to Linus’s project by adding enhancements or fixing bugs (errors in the code).

Plug and charge

 "Plug and charge" is a technology that allows electric vehicle (EV) charging without the need for a separate payment method, such as a credit card or mobile app. With plug and charge, an EV owner can simply plug their vehicle into a compatible charging station, and the charging session will automatically start and the payment will be processed seamlessly and securely in the background.

The technology is made possible by a standard called ISO 15118, which defines a secure communication protocol between the EV and the charging station. Using this protocol, the EV can authenticate itself to the charging station, and the charging session can be authorized and initiated automatically.

Several automakers and charging network providers have already adopted plug and charge technology, which is expected to make EV charging more convenient and accessible for drivers.

What is Hubject Platform?

Hubject is a platform that provides solutions for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to enable seamless and interoperable charging services. The company was founded in 2012 as a joint venture between BMW Group, Bosch, Daimler, EnBW, innogy, Siemens, and the Volkswagen Group.

The Hubject platform connects charging station operators, e-mobility service providers, and EV manufacturers to create a unified network for EV charging services. It enables EV drivers to access charging stations regardless of the charging network they are subscribed to, providing a seamless and interoperable experience for EV drivers.

The Hubject platform provides a range of services, including:

Interoperability: Ensuring that EV drivers can use any charging station on the Hubject network, regardless of the charging network operator.

Roaming: Allowing EV drivers to use their home charging network at any other network in the Hubject ecosystem.

Payment: Providing a payment solution for EV charging services that can be used across different charging networks and service providers.

Data management: Providing a platform for data exchange between charging network operators, service providers, and EV manufacturers.

Overall, Hubject is an important player in the e-mobility ecosystem, facilitating the growth and adoption of electric vehicles by providing interoperable and seamless charging solutions.

What is OCPP?

 OCPP stands for "Open Charge Point Protocol." It is a communication protocol that is used to standardize communication between electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and charging station management systems (CSMS). OCPP defines a set of rules that allow EV charging stations to communicate with CSMS over the internet or other networks.

The main goal of OCPP is to ensure interoperability between different EV charging stations and CSMS. By using a standardized protocol, different charging station manufacturers can create products that work seamlessly with different CSMS vendors. This helps to promote the growth of the EV charging infrastructure by making it easier to deploy and manage charging stations.

OCPP has evolved over time, with the latest version being OCPP 2.0. It includes new features such as support for advanced reservation systems, dynamic load management, and more detailed reporting and diagnostics. OCPP is widely used in Europe and is gaining popularity in other parts of the world as well.

Overall, OCPP is an important protocol that helps to facilitate the growth of the EV charging infrastructure by providing a common language for communication between different charging station and CSMS vendors.

What is MeanStack?

MEAN stack is a collection of JavaScript-based technologies used for developing web applications. MEAN is an acronym that stands for MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, and Node.js. These four technologies work together to provide a full-stack development environment for building dynamic web applications. MongoDB is a NoSQL database that stores data in a document-oriented format. ExpressJS is a framework for building web applications in Node.js. AngularJS is a client-side framework that allows developers to build dynamic and interactive web applications. Node.js is a server-side platform that allows developers to build scalable and high-performance web applications using JavaScript. Together, these technologies form a complete solution for building modern web applications.

What is NodeJS?

NodeJS is a server-side JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. It enables developers to run JavaScript on the server-side and build scalable and high-performance applications. It provides an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it lightweight and efficient, and it is used to build web applications, APIs, command-line tools, and even desktop applications. It has a vast ecosystem of open-source modules and packages available through NPM (Node Package Manager), which allows developers to easily build and scale applications.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a free and open-source software suite used for automating web browsers. It can simulate user actions on a web page, such as clicking links, filling out forms, and submitting data. Selenium provides a set of tools and libraries for writing automated tests in various programming languages such as Java, Python, and Ruby. It is widely used in software testing and quality assurance to ensure the functionality and performance of web applications across different browsers and platforms.

What is Appium?

Appium is an open-source automation tool for testing mobile applications, both native and hybrid, on iOS and Android platforms. It allows developers and testers to write automated tests using a variety of programming languages and test frameworks, and provides access to the device's internal APIs and app content, enabling comprehensive testing.

Situation of Electric Vehicle in Malaysia before GE 15.

Compared to other ASEAN countries, Malaysia introduced policies supporting EVs relatively early. Malaysia’s policy supports EVs due to a set of mixed motives, including environmental, energy, and industrial policy considerations. EV support was put on the political agenda when the country launched its National Green Technology Policy in 2009. This policy rests on four pillars, representing energy, environmental, economic, and social considerations. This indicates that EV support is regarded as a part of a larger transformation towards a sustainable economy and society. As such, the transformation cuts across various political areas, and Malaysia set up Greentech Malaysia, a subsidiary organisation under the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water, to promote this process according to the aims of the national policy.

Concerning EV use in Malaysia, the government later formulated the following goals (Greentech Malaysia, undated): until 2020, 100,000 passenger EVs, 2,000 bus EVs, and 100,000 electric scooters or motorcycles should be on national roads. In order to support the adoption of EVs, the government further aimed at installing 120,000 charging stations. Officially, BEVs are regarded as full EVs but HEVs and PHEVs as partial EVs (ibid). However, there is no information as to how partial EV types will be counted towards the 100,000 unit target. However, reaching this target will be difficult as less than 120 BEVs were registered by 2016. Further, it needs to be pointed out that the charging station target number includes the charging points of private PHEV and BEV owners as the government only wants to install 25,000 stations across the nation (The Sun Daily, 2016). 

Recently, news reports quoted Maximus Ongkili, Minister of Energy, Green Technology, and Water, that the goals, including a moderate increase to 125,000 charging stations, should be realised by 2030 (Clean Malaysia, 2017). As of December 2018, there were a total of 251 publicly accessible charging stations in Malaysia, suggesting that the minister’s revision was a de facto acknowledgement that the infrastructure goal cannot be realised until 2020. Whilst press statements are currently not reflected in policy documents, the 2030 timeframe appears more realistic.

Regarding EV policy measures, Malaysia exempted HEVs and PHEVs with internal combustion engines below a 2L engine capacity from import tax and granted a 50% lower excise duty from 2011 to 2013. Whilst this measure provided consumer incentives, subsequent policies served industrial aims. The National Automotive Policy (NAP) of 2014 supports EV production but, nevertheless, cannot be labelled as a dedicated EV policy. Rather, NAP aims to promote what it calls eco-efficient vehicles (EEVs). The government’s definition of EEV is broad, i.e. it includes fuel-efficient ICEVs, HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs, as well as ones using alternative fuels (biodiesel, CNG, LPG, ethanol, and hydrogen (for both combustion engines and fuel cells)). Further, the initial policy declaration stated that EEVs would be specified via fuel efficiency and carbon emissions. 

Concerning the latter, a subsequent publication (MITI, 2014b) stated that emission criteria would only be applied after the Euro 4M11 fuel quality standard is introduced. After this step, a government study with stakeholder participation would investigate how this standard could be implemented. Subsequently, the level of carbon emissions would become a second parameter defining EEVs. In the meantime, EEVs are specified through fuel efficiency criteria. Regarding this indicator, the government has defined fuel efficiency parameters for different vehicle segments (Table 1).

Table 1: Eco-efficient Vehicle Specifications via Fuel Efficiency

The NAP provided several incentives for OEMs and parts producers to locate manufacturing activities related to EVs in Malaysia (MITI, 2014). First, Malaysia exempted domestically assembled HEVs and PHEVs from all duties and taxes until the end of 2015, and BEVs even until the end of 2017. Second, the country extended the use of existing policy tools, namely Pioneer Status (PS) and Investment Tax Allowance (ITA), to hybrid and electric vehicles.12 PS with full tax exemption is granted for 10 years and 100% ITA within 5 years. Moreover, grants are available for related customised training and R&D as well as exemption from excise duty for locally assembled or manufactured cars. 

Similar to the promotion of conventional vehicle components, the producers of components critical for electric and hybrid vehicles – electric motors, electric air conditioning, electric batteries, battery management systems, air compressors, and inverters, as defined by the Malaysian authorities – can choose between PS or ITA with the aforementioned benefits. The impact of EV policies must be described as limited at the time of writing. Regarding BEV adoption, there are fewer than 120 of these vehicles registered in Malaysia. Turning to production, some OEMs have taken advantage of the provided incentives and located CKD assembly in Malaysia: Honda started to assemble the Jazz Hybrid (HEV) in 2012, Nissan the Serena S Hybrid (HEV) in 2014, Toyota the Camry Hybrid (HEV), and Daimler commenced assembly of the Mercedes-Benz S400 L Hybrid (HEV) in 2014, and added the C350e (PHEV) and E350e (PHEV) in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

It is noteworthy that Malaysia’s two national carmakers, Proton and Perodua, did not display strong support for EV development and commercialisation. Whilst Proton announced that it would sell BEVs from 2014 and showcased a prototype EV version of its Iriz minicar in 2015, this plan was never realised (Hamid, 2016). Only after the recent partnership with Geely does Proton appear to be able to manufacture BEVs based on Geely’s electric powertrain technology. Perodua, whose vehicle line-up consists of mini and small cars, stated that it does not plan to produce EVs (Saieed, 2017). Regarding the negative stance towards EVs, Perodua stated that the Malaysian charging infrastructure was insufficient to support EVs and that the firm intends to focus on improving ICEV technology. As Perodua heavily relies on Daihatsu for vehicle technology, this stance cannot be surprising because Daihatsu is also only offering a few HEV models.

Overall, despite the mixed motives for EV support, measures aimed at consumers have been phased out and those for producers were sustained for a longer period. Therefore, it may be concluded that policy is mainly motivated by industrial policy with environmental undertones. Malaysia did not create a dedicated EV policy programme but supports all emission-reducing technologies. Subsuming EVs under general automotive sector policy in such a way appears to have the drawback whereby issues such as charging infrastructure have been addressed in planning but not in policy implementation. Malaysian policy towards EVs has only been mildly successful in attracting manufacturing activities but largely a failure in consumer adaption. As most manufacturing is only assembly, the effectiveness of policy appears limited. Moreover, the key question is whether EV assembly will remain in Malaysia after the incentives are removed.