If a charging station used by your CPO customers is experiencing a malfunction, you can assist them by following these troubleshooting steps. Share this guide with your customers or installers to help them resolve common issues effectively.
Step 1: Check the Commands to see if you can find the cause of the issue.
You or the installer can select the station and navigate to "Commands." In this view, you can filter relevant OCPP messages. For troubleshooting, we recommend selecting the following message types:
Authorize
StartTransaction
StopTransaction
StatusNotifications
DataTransfer
Step 2: Analyze the communication with the station.
Are the "Authorize" requests accepted by the platform?
No → Check authorization settings or authorization method.
Is the "StartTransaction" sent by the charging station?
No → Ensure the car is properly connected. If the station does not send a "StartTransaction," there may be a hardware issue related to communication with the car.
Is the "StartTransaction" accepted by the platform?
No → Check the platform's response and take action accordingly:
Invalid → The transaction ID tag is not accepted.
ConcurrentTx → An active session is already running on this ID tag.
Did the station send a "StopTransaction" message immediately after the start?
Check the reason in the "StopTransaction" message:
Local → The user manually stopped the session (e.g., via an RFID card or app).
EVDisconnected → The charging cable was disconnected from the vehicle.
HardReset → The charging station performed a hard reset.
SoftReset → The charging station performed a soft reset.
PowerLoss → The charging station experienced a power outage.
UnlockCommand → The charging cable was released via an external command (e.g., from a backend system).
DeAuthorized → The session stopped due to lost authorization.
EmergencyStop → The emergency stop was activated.
EVRejected → The vehicle rejected the charging transaction.
GroundFault → A ground fault was detected.
ChargeLimitReached → The charging limit (e.g., kWh or time) was reached.
Reboot → The charging station performed a reboot.
Other → An unspecified reason.
What status notifications are sent by the charging station?
Status notifications indicate the state of a connector or the entire station:
Available → The station is ready for use.
Occupied → A vehicle is connected and may be charging.
Charging → The vehicle is actively charging. If the status does not change to "Charging" after connection, check for issues with the cable, authorization, or vehicle communication.
Finishing → The charging cycle is complete, waiting for disconnection. If stuck in this state, the station may have trouble completing the session.
SuspendedEV → Charging is paused by the vehicle (e.g., due to a set charging limit or an internal battery issue).
SuspendedEVSE → Charging is paused by the station (e.g., due to a power issue, load balancing, or grid congestion).
Faulted → A fault was detected (important for troubleshooting). Usually accompanied by an error code (e.g., ground fault, relay failure, overcurrent).
Unavailable → The station is temporarily unavailable (e.g., due to software updates, maintenance, or hardware issues).
Manufacturer-Specific Information → Some error messages contain manufacturer-specific details. Use error codes and descriptions to diagnose and resolve issues according to the charging station manufacturer's instructions.
How does the Road Platform detect and display issues?
The Road Platform identifies problems and displays a notification above the charging point under "Detected Issues." Based on the root cause, take appropriate action. Categories of detected issues include:
No Connectivity
Socket Error Issue
Power Meter Failure
Authorization Failures
ConcurrentTx
Cost Setting Not Configured
At the bottom of this page you find more information about detected issues and based on which message we create them.
Step 3: Reset the Charging Station
Log in to your E-Flux by Road account.
Go to 'My locations' in the menu on the left-hand side.
Select the location of the charging station reported by your CPO customer.
Click the 'Actions' button at the top right of the screen and choose 'Reset'.
Advise your customer to wait a few minutes to see if the reset resolves the issue.
If the malfunction persists, proceed to step 4.
Step 4: De-energize and Restart the Charging Station
Ask your customer to locate the utility closet or electrical panel controlling the charging station.
Instruct them to turn off the earth leakage circuit breaker and any related groups connected to the station.
Advise them to wait for five minutes to allow the station to fully power down.
Have them turn the groups and earth leakage circuit breaker back on to restore power.
Confirm with your customer if the station resumes normal operation.
If the problem remains unresolved, escalate the issue by contacting your technical support team or the charging station manufacturer on behalf of your CPO customer.
Detected issues:
No Connectivity issues are generated when we haven't received a 'Heartbeat' for 24 hours.
Socket Error issue are generated based on 'faulted' status notification. In the info section there is additional information shared.
Power Meter Failure issues are generated based on status notification for Power Meter Failures.
Authorization Failures issues are generated when we see multiple authorize requests that are not accepted by the platform.
ConcurrentTx issues are generated when we are not accepting 'Authorize' or 'StartTransaction' requests because the token is already being used.
Cost Setting Not Configured issues are generated when a customer is not allowed to charge because there are no prices configured.
