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Charge Point Compatibility and Requirements

  • By Stekker Support
What your charging hardware needs to support for Stekker to optimize it — OCPP requirements and supported CPO platforms.

How Stekker Connects to Your Charger

Stekker does not connect directly to your charge point hardware. Instead, it works through Charge Point Operator (CPO) platforms — the software layer that manages your charger. Think of the CPO as the bridge between Stekker’s optimization engine and your physical hardware.

This architecture means Stekker is hardware-agnostic. There’s no brand lock-in. Any charger that meets the requirements below can work with Stekker, as long as it’s connected through a supported CPO platform.

Supported CPO Platforms

Stekker currently integrates with the following CPO platforms:

  • E-Flux (including E-Flux CSME)
  • Evesto
  • Maxem

This list is growing. If your CPO is not listed, contact our support team to discuss options.

OCPP: The Communication Standard

Your charger must communicate using OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), the industry standard for charge point communication. Stekker supports:

  • OCPP 1.6 — The most widely deployed version, supported by the vast majority of commercial chargers.
  • OCPP 2.0.1 — The newer version with enhanced security and functionality.

Most modern commercial and semi-public charge points support at least OCPP 1.6. If you are unsure, check with your charger vendor or installer.

Smart Charging Profile Support

This is the most important technical requirement. Your charger must support smart charging profiles, specifically the OCPP SetChargingProfile message. This is what allows Stekker to control when and how fast your charger delivers energy.

Without smart charging profile support, Stekker can monitor your sessions but cannot optimize them. The charger would simply charge at full power as soon as a vehicle plugs in — exactly the uncontrolled behavior that smart charging aims to replace.

What to Check With Your Vendor

When evaluating a charger for use with Stekker, ask your charger vendor or CPO:

  1. Does the charger support OCPP 1.6 or 2.0.1?
  2. Is SetChargingProfile supported and enabled?
  3. Is the charger connected to a supported CPO platform (E-Flux, Evesto, or Maxem)?

If the answer to all three is yes, your charger is compatible with Stekker.

AC and DC Chargers

Stekker works with both AC and DC charge points:

  • AC chargers — Typically 3.7 to 22 kW, common at homes and offices. These are the most common setup for smart charging, as vehicles are connected for longer periods (overnight, during work hours), giving Stekker plenty of flexibility to optimize.
  • DC chargers — Higher power (50 kW and above), typically used for faster charging. Smart charging can still optimize DC sessions, though the shorter connection times offer less scheduling flexibility.

What If My Charger Does Not Support Smart Charging?

If your charger lacks SetChargingProfile support, you have a few options:

  • Firmware update — Some chargers gain smart charging support through firmware updates. Check with your vendor whether an update is available.
  • CPO configuration — In some cases, the feature is available but not enabled. Your CPO may be able to activate it.
  • Hardware upgrade — If your current charger simply does not support it, replacing it with an OCPP-compliant model is the most reliable path forward.

The Communication Chain

Understanding the full chain helps when troubleshooting:

  1. Stekker determines the optimal charging schedule based on prices, departure times, and energy needs.
  2. The CPO platform receives the charging profile from Stekker and forwards it to the charger via OCPP.
  3. Your charger executes the profile, adjusting power delivery according to the schedule.
  4. Your vehicle receives the energy as directed by the charger.

Each link in this chain must work correctly. If your charger is not responding to smart charging commands, the issue could be at any level — from CPO configuration to charger firmware to OCPP settings.

Ready to see how this optimization translates into real savings? Read Understanding Your Charging Sessions and Savings. For more on how Stekker picks the cheapest hours, see Dynamic Pricing: How Stekker Uses Electricity Markets.

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