Yacine El Azrak
Co-founder & CEO
Building EV Cloud — the universal OCPP bridge for CPOs and eMSPs. Previously worked on charging infrastructure at scale. Passionate about open protocols, interoperability, and making EV charging work for everyone.
Posts by Yacine El Azrak (22)
Best OCPP Platforms for CPOs: What to Look for Before You Commit
A practical guide to the best OCPP platforms for Charge Point Operators. Compare architecture, routing, roaming support, operations, and lock-in risk before selecting a vendor.
EV Charging Software Pilot Plan for CPOs: How to De-Risk Rollout Before Full Cutover
How to structure an EV charging software pilot before full rollout. Define scope, rollback, data checks, and procurement gates before you commit at fleet level.
EV Charging Software Pricing Guide: How CPOs Should Compare Cost
A practical EV charging software pricing guide for CPOs. Compare per-charger pricing, rollout cost, integration fees, support, and lock-in risk before you shortlist vendors.
EV Charging Software RFP Checklist for CPOs
A practical RFP checklist for Charge Point Operators buying EV charging software. Cover OCPP, roaming, security, data ownership, operations, migration, and commercial terms.
How to Evaluate an OCPP Platform: A Practical Buyer Guide for CPOs
A practical framework for evaluating OCPP platforms, gateways, and CPMS vendors. Compare protocol support, routing, migration, security, data ownership, and commercial risk.
Legacy CSMS Migration Plan for CPOs: Replace the Backend Without Replacing Chargers
A practical migration plan for CPOs moving off a legacy CSMS or CPMS. Phase rollout safely, preserve data, and avoid risky charger-by-charger cutovers.
OCPI 2.1.1 vs 2.2.1: Which Version Should You Implement?
Compare OCPI 2.1.1 and OCPI 2.2.1 for EV charging roaming. Understand module differences, partner compatibility, and how CPOs and eMSPs should choose a target version.
OCPP Gateway vs Full CPMS Replacement: How CPOs Should Decide
A buyer guide for CPOs deciding between an OCPP gateway-first architecture and a full CPMS replacement. Compare rollout risk, flexibility, cost, and operational control.
When to Add an OCPP Gateway Before Replacing Your CPMS
A practical buyer guide to deciding whether an OCPP gateway should sit between chargers and your CPMS before a full platform replacement.
Plug & Charge (ISO 15118): How EV Authentication Without RFID Works
Plug & Charge explained — how ISO 15118 lets EVs authenticate automatically. Certificate chain, contract certs, and OCPP integration.
OCPP Charging Profiles 0, 1, 2, 3: The Complete Breakdown
OCPP charging profiles 0, 1, 2, 3 explained — ChargePointMaxProfile, TxDefaultProfile, TxProfile, stack levels, and how they interact.
OCPP 1.6 to 2.0.1 Migration Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Step-by-step OCPP 1.6 to 2.0.1 migration guide for CPOs. Protocol differences, migration strategies, and common pitfalls.
OCPI vs OCPP: What's the Difference and When to Use Each
OCPP vs OCPI — what each protocol does, how they interact, and when CPOs and eMSPs need them. Clear comparison with decision matrix.
Introducing EV Cloud: The Universal OCPP Bridge
Today we're launching EV Cloud — infrastructure that connects any EV charger to any CPMS without code changes, lock-in, or protocol translation headaches.
The OCPP 2.0.1 Device Model Explained: Components, Variables, and Monitoring
OCPP 2.0.1 device model explained — the component-variable architecture replacing flat config keys. Hierarchy, attribute types, and examples.
OCPI Roaming: The Complete Guide to Connecting EV Charging Networks
OCPI explained — how EV charging roaming works between CPOs and eMSPs. Module breakdown, versions, and implementation guide.
OCPP 2.0.1: What Actually Changed and Why It Matters
A technical deep-dive into OCPP 2.0.1 — the message changes, the new device model, smart charging improvements, and what you need to migrate.
Smart Charging with OCPP: Profiles, Strategies, and Load Management
OCPP smart charging profiles explained — TxDefaultProfile, TxProfile, ChargingStationMaxProfile. Load management strategies for CPOs.
OCPP Security Profiles Explained: Securing Your EV Charging Network
OCPP security profiles 1, 2, 3 explained — basic auth, mutual TLS, signed firmware. Which profile fits your deployment.
Multi-CPMS Orchestration: Running Multiple Backends on the Same Network
How to route OCPP traffic to multiple Charge Point Management Systems simultaneously — for redundancy, migration, or multi-tenant deployments.
OCPI CDR Billing: How EV Charging Roaming Payments Actually Work
A technical breakdown of OCPI Charge Detail Records (CDRs) — how billing flows between CPOs and eMSPs, tariff calculation, and common integration pitfalls.
EV Charging Data Ownership: Why CPOs Need Full Control Over Their Data
Why CPOs must own their EV charging data. The risks of vendor lock-in, how to take back control, and what to look for in a CPMS.