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California has put reliability and data-sharing rules in place for EV chargers supported by state agencies or regulated utilities, following laws passed in 2022 and 2023. The requirements include a newer communications standard for certain fast chargers, but repair specialists say missing data and coordination problems still cause charging failures.
California has put new reliability and data-sharing rules in place for electric-vehicle chargers funded by state agencies or regulated utilities, a long-delayed step aimed at making public charging more dependable. The rules include an interoperability requirement for certain new fast chargers, but repair specialists and other industry experts say data gaps and technical handoffs still leave problems unresolved.
Laws passed in 2022 and 2023 directed the California Energy Commission (CEC) to set and enforce reliability and data-sharing standards for charging installations receiving public support. The rules are now in place after a process that took years. California’s large EV market makes public charging performance especially consequential for drivers who cannot rely on home charging or need fast chargers on longer trips.
One requirement applies to publicly funded direct-current fast chargers installed on or after September 28: they must support OCPP 2.0.1, the latest version of the Open Charge Point Protocol. The protocol lets chargers and network-management systems from different vendors communicate. Obrie Hostetter, director of fleet decarbonization programs at the Center for Sustainable Energy, said the standard is intended to reduce the risk that chargers will be left unusable if a manufacturer or network operator exits the business.
The rules have drawn criticism from some charging-industry participants. One person working for a large charging network described the requirements to Canary Media as “largely an onerous data-reporting exercise” that would not “move the needle on reliability.” Hostetter acknowledged that concern but argued that publicly funded projects must reliably serve the public and that collecting performance data is a way to check whether they do.
Rules Address Public Charger Failures
Reliable public charging affects whether EV drivers can complete trips, particularly when they lack access to a home charger. A charger that appears available but fails during a session can disrupt travel and weaken confidence in EV ownership. California’s standards tie public support to expectations for performance information and interoperability, giving the state a means to set conditions for projects paid for with public money.
The protocol requirement also addresses a specific risk: dependence on a single vendor’s software or network. Michael Bakunin, chief executive of charging software company Epic Charging, told Canary Media he had helped owners move chargers to his company’s software after previous arrangements failed. He said the migration was difficult and that the CEC requirements were strict. The rules may make future changes in software provider more practical, but they do not by themselves establish that chargers will work consistently or that every failure can be diagnosed and fixed quickly.
The distinction matters for public spending as well as drivers. Performance data can help agencies and operators identify recurring faults, while shared technical standards can give charger owners more options if a service provider is no longer available. But collecting data is not the same as fixing a broken unit. The state’s approach combines regulation with a separate effort to help companies test and coordinate their technology.
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From Federal Standards to State Action
The report places California’s effort against a changing federal role. The Biden administration attached reliability requirements to a $5 billion federal EV-charger program, according to Canary Media. The report says federal leadership later weakened under the Trump administration, leaving states to take on more of the work. It does not provide a detailed accounting of which federal requirements remain in effect or how federal policy changes affect individual California projects.
California’s 2022 and 2023 laws assigned the CEC a role in setting standards for projects funded by state agencies and regulated utilities. The resulting rules are one part of a broader response: collecting operational data, requiring a common communications protocol for covered new fast chargers, and supporting work to test equipment before deployment.
A CEC grant of $4 million supports the Capital Charge Yard, a Sacramento testing facility that opened in August. The report says it involves companies including ABB, ChargePoint, EVgo, Hubject, Rivian and Tesla. The California Energy, Power, and Innovation Collaborative, a nonprofit managing the facility, already hosts technician training and plans to use the site to test EV and charger systems. The report does not specify the year of the August opening.
“They have very strict requirements.”
— Michael Bakunin, CEO of Epic Charging
Repair Data and Coordination Gaps
The extent to which the rules will improve real-world uptime remains unclear. Kameale Terry, CEO and co-founder of charger repair company ChargerHelp, told Canary Media that repair crews still lack some of the information needed to diagnose malfunctioning equipment. She also said there are no clear rules requiring hardware and software companies to manage the handoffs among charger diagnostics, vehicle communications and payment authorization, any of which can disrupt a charging session.
The report does not give a statewide charger-uptime baseline, a measured effect from the new rules, or a timeline for determining whether they improve service. It also does not detail how often covered chargers fail, how quickly repairs must be completed, or what enforcement actions the CEC will take when requirements are not met. Those details are needed to judge the rules’ practical effect beyond their technical and reporting provisions.
Testing and Enforcement Ahead
The next tests will be whether covered chargers meet the new requirements and whether the resulting data helps operators and repair teams resolve faults. The CEC-funded Capital Charge Yard is positioned to support testing and technician training, while participating companies work with equipment and systems from different providers. The report does not set out a public schedule for tests or publish performance results from the facility.
California agencies and charging companies will also need to address the operational gaps Terry identified: access to diagnostic information and coordination across the systems involved in a charging session. Future evidence—including charger uptime, repair times and the availability of useful fault data—will show whether the standards deliver more than compliance. For now, California has established new requirements, but the effect on drivers’ day-to-day charging experience has not yet been demonstrated.
Key Questions
What has California changed for publicly funded EV chargers?
The state has put reliability and data-sharing standards in place for chargers funded by state agencies or regulated utilities, following laws passed in 2022 and 2023.
Which chargers must support OCPP 2.0.1?
Under the reported rule, publicly funded DC fast chargers installed on or after September 28 must support OCPP 2.0.1. The source does not state the year associated with that date.
How could OCPP 2.0.1 help charger owners?
The protocol allows chargers and network-management systems from different vendors to communicate. That may make it easier for an owner to change software providers if a manufacturer or network operator leaves the market, though it does not guarantee that a charger will avoid failures.
Will the rules immediately make charging more reliable?
That has not been established. Industry experts cited in the report say repair teams still face missing diagnostic data and coordination problems, and the report gives no measured statewide improvement in charger uptime.
What is the Capital Charge Yard?
It is a Sacramento testing facility supported by a $4 million CEC grant. Its managing nonprofit says the site will support technician training and testing of EV and charging systems; published results showing its effect were not included in the report.
Source: canarymedia.com
