CPO & eMSP FAQs
1. What is the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation and what is it trying to achieve? The EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR, 2023/1804) shall apply from 13 April 2024. The Regulation sets a number of mandatory targets for Member States for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure in the EU, including for road vehicles.
The specific objectives of AFIR are:
- to ensure minimum levels of infrastructure availability to support the required uptake
of alternative fuel vehicles across all transport modes and in all EU Member States to
meet the EU’s climate objectives; - to ensure full interoperability of the infrastructure; and
- to ensure comprehensive user information and adequate payment options at alternative fuels infrastructure.
The regulations governing data provision for electric vehicles and other alternative fuels recharging infrastructure have been set by the European Union (EU), through the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR, 2023/1804). This regulation mandates data-sharing requirements for publicly accessible recharging points as part of broader targets for alternative fuels infrastructure.
To satisfy AFIR requirements relating to the availability of information pertaining to public Electric Vehicle (EV) recharging infrastructure, Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland (ZEVI) published a draft Strategy for Data Concerning Electric Vehicles Recharging Infrastructure.
This strategy sets out how specified AFIR data will be made open and freely available to any data user by Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs) via the National Access Point (NAP). A Data Exchange Platform (DXP) will house the data management and exchange functionality as required by AFIR and facilitate the sharing of this data with the National Access Point (NAP).
Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs) are two key legal entities in the electric vehicle (EV) charging ecosystem, each with distinct roles:
- CPO (Charge Point Operator): A CPO is responsible for the installation, operation, and maintenance of EV recharging stations. They manage the technical aspects of the recharging infrastructure, including power supply, network connectivity, and ensuring chargers are functional and accessible.
- eMSP (eMobility Service Provider): An eMSP provides EV drivers with access to recharging services, including payment processing, roaming services, and customer support. eMSPs offer subscription plans or mobile apps that enable users to locate and pay for recharging sessions across different CPO networks.
While some companies may operate as both a CPO and an eMSP, they legally have distinct roles. CPOs manage the physical infrastructure, while eMSPs facilitate the end-user experience by providing access and payment solutions.
In Ireland, the National Access Point (NAP) is the Open Data Portal (data.gov.ie). The NAP serves as a centralised platform where data providers can publish their data publicly. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR, 2023/1804) requires that free and unrestricted access to the specified data be submitted to the NAP via an Application Programme Interface (API).
The EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR, 2023/1804) mandates that Member States must appoint an Identification Registration Organisation (‘IDRO’) to issue and manage unique identification codes (‘IDRO ID’) to Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Providers (eMSPs)
In Ireland, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is establishing an Identification Registration Organisation (IDRO) that will issue and manage IDRO IDs to CPOs and eMSPs
As per the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), each operator of publicly accessible recharging and refuelling points for alternative fuels, shall set up an Application Programme Interface (API) that provides free and unrestricted access to the specified AFIR data. This data shall be submitted to the National Access Point (NAP) via the API, as aforementioned.
Should CPOs choose to make their data discoverable through the DXP, the CPO can provide the details of the DXP 's data access mechanism on the NAP as their means of making their data available.
Ireland will establish an Identification Registration Organisation (IDRO) for the purposes of issuing and managing unique identification (‘ID’) codes to identify CPOs and eMSP. It is therefore a requirement that operators of publicly available recharging infrastructure and mobility service providers are registered through the IDRO and are assigned a unique identification code.
CPOS who choose to provide data to the Data Exchange Platform (DXP) will only need to establish a single Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI) connection. In practical terms, this means that when registering their open API solution on the National Access Point (NAP), CPOs who intend to use the DXP as their open API solution must include the necessary details of the DXP’s data access mechanism to fulfil this AFIR obligation
However, the DXP will not act as a service provider or agent on behalf of CPOs in this process.
To connect, CPOs must establish an Open Charge Point Interface (OCPI 2.2.1) connection. This is managed via TII’s onboarding programme for the Data Exchange Platform (DXP) which involves collaborating with the CPO to test and validate that their data connection meets the OCPI 2.2.1 requirements.
To register with IDRO and connect to the DXP please contact afirdata@tii.ie. TII will issue CPOs with a registration form to register with the IDRO. Should CPOs wish to publish data to the NAP via the DXP, further technical details will be required to establish an OCPI connection between the CPO and the DXP.
Through an OCPI connection, only data that supports the production of AFIR mandated data requirements will be used by the DXP. This data is contained in the location and tariff objects. If a CPO is interested in signing up to the DXP, please contact Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)’s Alternative Fuels Data Office via afirdata@tii.ie