The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed a 220V charging outlet that can handle everything from electric vehicle charging to payment, and expectations are high that this will increase the spread of electric vehicles and the convenience of electric vehicle users in the future.

The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) announced on the 29th that the 'electric vehicle charging charging outlet technology (Mode 1/2-only CS)' developed by Dr. Jaejo Lee's team at the KERI was the first in the world to receive 'OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) 2.0.1' certification.

OCPP is an industry standard of the Open Charge Alliance (OCA) developed for the purpose of operation and maintenance of electric vehicle chargers. It is a type of communication standard used to provide information to charging users, authenticate users, and manage charging station status and faults.

Currently, more than 50 countries around the world are utilizing OCPP, and in Korea, it has become established as a core operating system since the Ministry of Environment made OCPP 1.6 certification mandatory for charger distribution projects last year.

The 'chargeable outlet technology' for which KERI recently received OCPP 2.0.1 certification is a technology that allows charging users to charge electric vehicles and even make payments using 220V outlets installed on the wall of a parking lot.

This technology requires a very high level of communication security, including personal information protection, as it can perform smart power distribution charging, rate-optimized charging, and even charging fee payment.

Dr. Lee Jae-jo's team proposed the 'chargeable outlet for electric vehicle charging' technology to OCA and received the world's first OCPP 1.6 certification (technology name: Mode 1/2 only Charging Station) in March 2022.

In addition, through continuous research and development, we have succeeded in receiving certification for the latest upgraded version, OCPP 2.0.1.

OCPP 2.0.1 is a communication protocol that supports a communication environment with enhanced security and supports improved charging technology, making it more suitable for smart charging such as plug and charge, wireless power transfer, and automatic charging.

The research team reports that this achievement will greatly contribute to the expansion of the domestic and international electric vehicle markets. Currently, in our country, there are many inconveniences caused by the structure in which separate, large charging stations are built in apartment parking lots, and residents take turns charging their electric vehicles together.

On the other hand, this problem can be solved by installing several simple 220V charging outlets in parking lots, outdoor campsites, etc. using KERI technology.

This is because there is no need for complex electrical work or dedicated parking spaces to install charging stations. It is a major technology that can lead to a significant expansion of charging infrastructure, which is a key factor in expanding the distribution of electric vehicles.

Additionally, based on OCPP 2.0.1 certification, a foundation has been established for users to enjoy communication-based convenience services beyond electric vehicle charging.

Dr. Lee Jae-jo said, “The electric vehicle charging infrastructure has moved beyond the era of simple charging and has entered the ‘era of communication’ that provides various services for users and manages them effectively.” He added, “We will work to ensure that our country can lead the international standardization of electric vehicle charging protocols, such as by preparing to publish a white paper on OCA and charging outlets.”

KERI plans to provide technical support related to OCPP 2.0.1 so that domestic charger companies can be highly competitive in the global market. In North America, the OCPP 2.0.1 standard has already been adopted for charger distribution projects, and as Korea has also made OCPP 1.6 certification mandatory, demand for OCPP 2.0.1 certification from charger manufacturers is expected to be significant.

Meanwhile, KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Research Council of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and ICT. This project was carried out as a basic project of KERI.