Glossary

Alternating current / regular charging = charging with alternating current, whereby the alternating current is converted into direct current by the car with an inverter (on-board charger OBC) during charging; normal charging is possible with AC.

An acquirer is a bank (full bank with a banking licence or e-money licence) that processes credit and debit card payments (such as Mastercard, Visa, American Express and many others) on behalf of a merchant. For this service, the acquirer charges the merchant a merchant service fee (MSC), also known as a discount, for each transaction.

Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility means infrastructure for alternative fuels

The AFIR has been in force in all EU member states since 13 April. The regulation is part of the EU’s “Fit for 55” climate package. The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation regulates the expansion of the network of charging stations for electric vehicles in Europe. It also aims to make e-mobility more attractive for users.

What is being changed?
Consolidation of the charging infrastructure
Standardised, universal payment methods
Transparency of prices and location information

The latter means that in order to fulfil the AFIR requirements, the prices for charging electric vehicles must be transparent, easily comparable, clearly communicated, appropriate and non-discriminatory.

This means that DC/HPC charging stations must be equipped with a payment terminal with contactless function (NFC)
AC charging stations can be equipped with secure payment methods – static / dynamic QR codes
AFIR refers specifically to “security of the payment process” for QR codes
and generally to the acceptance of all common payment cards

An Android payment terminal is a device with an Android-based operating system (OS) and offers several options for functionalities as well as the installation of apps from other companies compared to terminals with other operating systems

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) consist of several definitions and protocols for the development and integration of application software. An API is an interface that enables independent applications to communicate with each other and exchange data.

A BEV is a Battery Electric Vehicle. In other words, a car powered by a battery.

The charging point is the socket (or the fixed charging cable) at a charging station.
A charging station can also have several charging points. The charging point itself says nothing about the charging capacity or the charging mode, only that a charging option is available.

The charging point is the socket (or the fixed charging cable) at a charging station.
A charging station can also have several charging points. The charging point itself says nothing about the charging capacity or the charging mode, only that a charging option is available.

The charging capacity is the amount of electrical energy that is supplied to the electric car by the charging station. It is specified in kilowatts (kW).

The charging power is calculated using the formula A x V x p = kW. So: amperes x volts x number of phases – e.g. 32A x 230V x 3p = 22 kW.

A charging pole is a charging station for vertical installation on the ground.
In contrast to the wallbox, the charging pole is attached directly to the ground and is therefore also suitable for installation in open spaces. The advantage is the robustness and the additional space inside, which can hold additional components. For certain applications, however, a wallbox with a pedestal can also be used instead of a charging pole.

Corporate identity means company identity and is the totality of features that characterise a company and distinguish it from other companies.

A click dummy is a prototype of a digital application or website that is used to test the basic design, user interface and functionality.

Click-to-Pay is a provider-independent payment method in e-commerce. Developed by EMVCo, a consortium of major credit card companies (American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay and Visa), Click-to-Pay enables secure and password-free online payments. Customers can store their credit or debit cards once and then make purchases at participating merchants without having to enter their card details again. Secure Remote Commerce (SRC) technology is used, which increases security through token-based identity. The method recognises user devices and thus enables fast and convenient one-click payment.

Contactless function is mentioned in connection with payment. Contactless payment refers to a payment function in which payments are processed via NFC (Near Field Communication) or RFID (radio-frequency identification), for example. Contactless payment based on NFC is now supported by most payment cards and current smartphones and POS terminals. Payments with charging cards are processed at the charging station via RFID.

Charge Point Management System is a system, a software, for the management of charging points or charging stations. The software is usually an online tool and is connected to the charging station via the Internet. Communication takes place via OCPP. Common functions of the software are Monitoring, remote control, billing, user management, load management.

The CPO is the charging station operator. It operates the charging station and provides charging customers with access to the charging station. CPO and CSO are often the same company. However, a CPO can also include charging stations from other CSOs in its network and operate them for them.

The CRA (Cyber Resilience Act) is an EU regulation aimed at improving the cybersecurity of products with digital elements. It sets mandatory security requirements, establishes rules for vulnerability management, and introduces penalties for non-compliance. The goal is to enhance product safety and consumer trust across the EU.

The Charge Station Owner is the owner of the charging station. The CSO is often also the CPO, but can also hand over operation to an external CPO.

Also the German-speaking area is the economic area, which comprises Germany, Austria and SwitzerlandWirtschaftsraum, der Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz umfasst

direct current = charging with direct current
When charging with direct current (DC), an electric car can be charged particularly quickly, with up to 350 kW currently possible. DC charging is also often referred to as direct current charging or fast charging. High power charging also falls into the DC charging category. In technical jargon, DC charging is also referred to as Mode 4 charging, which also corresponds to the standard.

Direct payment is a cashless payment transaction using card or card form factors. The payee initiates the payment transaction (“pull payment”) by debiting the payer’s account with an amount to be paid. The amount is determined by the payee.

Dynamic QR codes redirect users to specific information or websites, just like any other QR code. They are “dynamic” because the URL encoded in them redirects to a second URL, which can be changed if necessary, even after the code has been printed.

The term e-commerce, short for electronic commerce, describes all commercial transactions on the Internet, including the buying and selling of goods on the Internet. Synonyms are online trading, internet trading or electronic trading.

eMobility Interoperation Protocol (eMIP) is an open communication protocol developed by GIREVE (France). It facilitates the interaction between charge point operators (CPOs) and eMobility service providers (EMSPs).

eMeMIP is an open EV roaming protocol that enables communication between MSPs (Mobility Service Providers) and CPOs via a roaming hub.IP ist ein offenes EV-Roaming-Protokoll, das die Kommunikation zwischen MSPs (Mobility Service Provider) und CPOs über einen Roaming-Hub ermöglicht.

The eMIP specifications were developed and managed by GIREVE, which was founded by EDF, Renault, CNR and Caisse des Dépôts as well as other French companies.

EMSP is the abbreviation for E-Mobility Service Provider. EMSPs provide access to public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The difference to CPOs and CSOs is that EMSPs do not necessarily have to have their own charging infrastructure. They merely provide the charging card that can be used to charge at the charging stations of other providers.

EMV is a technical standard for smart payment cards, as well as payment terminals and ATMs that accept them. Developed by Europay, Mastercard, and Visa, the standard enhances the security and efficiency of electronic payments by using a microprocessor chip embedded in the card. This chip encrypts transactions, making them more secure than traditional magnetic stripe cards. EMV has become a global standard, widely adopted across various regions to facilitate safe and reliable card-based payments.

EMVCo is an organization that develops global specifications for secure and reliable payment transactions. Originally founded by Europay, Mastercard, and Visa, EMVCo is now overseen by six member organizations—American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, UnionPay, and Visa. EMVCo ensures that payment cards and systems can work seamlessly worldwide. In addition to the EMV standard, EMVCo develops specifications for other payment processes, such as 3-D Secure and contactless payments. EMVCo is crucial in the global standardization and security of payment systems.

This ensures that the data flow between the backend and the terminal is organised and in the correct order, e.g. price updates, information on slot statuses, etc.

Engineering-Procurement-Construction
EPC is an abbreviation for Engineering, Procurement and Construction and stands for the process steps of planning, procurement and construction in projects such as tank farms. It is a fixed term used in the construction industry to describe a special form of project management and contract design.

Normally, the EPC service provider is obliged to complete the construction project by a certain date and within a specified budget. In this context, one also speaks of lump sum turnkey contracts (LSTK). With this type of contract, the contractor is responsible for all engineering services, the procurement and production of all necessary construction materials and parts, as well as construction and commissioning.

Web-based electric charging station management system

The European Green Deal is a concept presented by the European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen on 11 December 2019 with the aim of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union to zero by 2050 and thus becoming the first continent to become climate neutral. The European Green Deal is one of the six priorities of the von der Leyen Commission. The Green Deal is to become a central component of the European Union’s climate policy.

It stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and is a broad term that encompasses all devices required to supply power to electric vehicles. These devices are essential for converting mains power into a form that can be used to safely charge the batteries of electric vehicles.

Fiscalisation refers to initiatives by government and financial institutions to make business processes and transactions more transparent. The main purpose is to protect against the manipulation of recording systems and to prevent tax evasion, particularly in the case of cash payments.

The European Union’s climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

Requirements in the General Data Protection Regulation

The GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol) is a private transnational set of standards for carbon accounting and reporting for companies and increasingly for the public sector.

Heavy Duty Vehicles are gravity vehicles

Hybrid Electric Vehicle, where a petrol engine works together with an electric motor. Unlike the mild hybrid, however, the battery is larger and can store more energy. This means it can drive purely electrically and without a combustion engine. However, this purely electric range is limited to a few kilometres. The electric drive is therefore mainly used when starting off or travelling at low speed.

High Power Charging = high-power charging station works on the basis of DC technology, which has a possible charging capacity of up to 600KW. Electric cars are currently designed for a maximum of 250 KW (Tesla) or 270KW (Porsche Taycan). Any charging power above 175kW is referred to as “ultra-fast charging”.

In a serial hybrid , there is no direct connection between the wheels and the combustion engine. This serves as a generator for the electric motor and to charge the battery. The advantage of this drive is that the combustion engine can always run in the optimum operating range. However, the serial hybrid is a niche product.

The market is clearly dominated by the parallel hybrid. Here it is possible to drive the wheels only with the electric motor or only with the petrol engine. However, it is also possible for both drives to complement each other. With this system, manufacturers can programme more different driving modes, for example as economical as possible or with as much power as possible.

With serial and parallel hybrid drive, however, it is not necessarily either or. The two principles can also be combined. referred power-split hybrid. The power-split hybrid is more powerful and at the same time more economical, but also more expensive.

Information and communication technology

A fee paid by the acquirer to the issuer. These fees are publicly available.

An interface refers to a transition point between different components of an IT system/communication system via which data/information exchange or data/information processing is realised. These can be human-computer interfaces or computer-computer interfaces.
The interface of a communication system is referred to as an interface.

Card issuer with one banking licence and one licence per card organisation (licensor)

Inland Waterways are inland waterways

Abbreviation for the German Cash Register Security Ordinance. The Cash Register Security Ordinance is an ordinance issued by the Ministry of Finance that prescribes new binding standards to prevent manipulation of cash registers.

The kernel, also known as the operating system kernel, is the central component of an operating system. It defines the process and data organisation on which all other software components of the operating system are based. The kernel is an elementary, central module of an operating system.

Light Duty Vehicles are light vehicles

Fees paid by the acquirer to the licensors, these fees are not public.

Licensors are international companies that grant companies with a banking licence an issuer contract (card issuance) and companies with at least an e-money licence the processing of card payments after various test procedures.
Licensors are currently VISA international / Mastercard international / American Express / JCB / Diners-Discover / Union Pay / Alipay

Mobility as a service Mobility as a service means that various mobility services, from car and bike sharing to public transport and taxis, are bundled into a single platform. Customers can book the means of transport of their choice via this platform and pay directly. Ideally, they pay depending on the journey or with a subscription that meets their needs. This means that it ultimately doesn’t matter which means of transport is used for a journey because a flat rate can be booked, as with mobile phones, for example.

Mild hybrid electric vehicles are the most common form of hybrid. A starter-generator acts as an electric motor and generator. It is switched on when the vehicle starts, pulls away or accelerates. However, as the battery is relatively small, it cannot drive purely electrically, but can only provide assistance.

Middleware is software that enables one or more types of communication or connectivity between two or more applications or application components in a distributed network. By facilitating the connection of applications that are not intended to be connected and providing functions that intelligently connect these applications, middleware streamlines application development and shortens time to market. Middleware is software that sits between an operating system and the applications running on it. In principle, middleware acts as a hidden translation layer, enabling distributed applications to communicate and manage data.

MSC = Merchant Service Charge / Discount = are the fees, per TX, that the merchant pays to the acquirer.

Mobility Service Provider
The eMobility Provider (EMP), also known as Mobility Service Provider (MSP) / traction current service provider / charging service provider, offers its customers access to various charging station networks. Generally speaking, an EMP can also be called a charging service provider.

Multi-client capable is information technology that can serve several clients, i.e. customers or clients, on the same server or the same software system without them having mutual insight into their data, user administration and the like.

Nexo Standards: The organisation behind the Nexo protocols
Nexo Standards is an open association of various companies in the field of cashless payments with the aim of developing, establishing and disseminating international standards for payment technologies. All of the organisation’s developments are based on the technical standard ISO 20022.

The Nexo protocol for communication between payment terminal and cash register is intended to enable merchants to switch easily between terminals from different providers – and thus no longer be tied to specific acquirers. The Nexo protocol was developed to standardise payment flows and facilitate cross-border payment transactions.

The Nexo protocol offers users a very wide range of functions. As it is based on the ISO 20022 standard, it also allows both the range of functions and the communication process to be changed in a later version without affecting existing systems.

The NIS-2 Directive (Network and Information Security Directive 2) by the EU strengthens cybersecurity, extends its scope to more sectors, increases security requirements, tightens reporting obligations, and enforces stricter sanctions. Its goal is to protect critical infrastructure and improve cooperation among member states.

Normal charging points are AC charging points (see AC). They have a charging capacity of up to 22 kW.

Network Service Provider

Open Clearing House Protocol – OCHP is an open protocol that enables communication between the CPMS of different CPOs and a clearing house system. This enables roaming between different charging network operators via a clearing house system.

Open Charge Point Interface
OCPI is an open protocol that enables communication between the CPMS or clouds of different CPOs. This enables roaming between different charging network operators via peer-to-peer. More information: https://www.finetelligence.com/en/ocpi-the-universal-communication-standard-for-cpos/

Open Chargepoint Protocol
OCPP is an open protocol that enables communication between charging stations and CPMS. It is, so to speak, the common language of charging stations and CPMS. OCPP enables the simple integration of charging stations into a higher-level network and allows users to authenticate themselves with their card at different charging stations.

Original Equipment Manufacturer
In principle, an OEM is an original equipment manufacturer that produces components and products but does not sell them to retailers itself. An example of this are manufacturers of microchips who supply computer providers. In the automotive industry, however, OEM is used synonymously with the term vehicle manufacturer.

Offline capability is an essential feature of a good mobile business app for sales and service. This feature is the only way to ensure full usability and data availability even without wireless coverage.

OPI or O.P.I. stands for Open Payment Initiative and describes the standardised interface between a POS application and the peripheral devices for cashless payment, as well as ZVT or NEXO, but with a different structure.

Payment service providers provide the technical connection of cashless payment transactions for online shops. Common debit and credit cards are used as payment methods at the charging stations.

Payment solutions are cashless payments with payment cards in the CP (card present) and CNP (card not present) areas

A payment terminal, also known as a card terminal, EC terminal or POS terminal, processes payments by card (i.e. girocard, other debit cards and credit cards) or smartphone.

Plug-in hybridsplug-in hybrid electric vehicles = PHEVs) utilise two types of drive for driving. In addition to an externally rechargeable electric motor, PHEV cars also run on a conventional combustion engine. As they can be charged externally with electricity, they are defined as electric cars in accordance with the Electric Mobility Act.

The term “price transparency” describes the comparability of a price to be paid for a good or service on the respective market. This is associated with transparent price information for the user on all components to be charged. The price in the course of a refuelling process must be shown on an ongoing basis.

Payment Service Provider

(Renewable Energy Directive): The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) is European Union legislation that promotes renewable energy in the member states. RED III is the third revision of this directive in order to further promote the expansion of renewable energies. The EU member states are obliged to significantly shorten the often lengthy procedures for the authorisation of renewable energy installations. The aim of RED III is to increase the share of renewable energies in final consumption to 42.5 per cent within the EU by 2030.

Renewable Energy Sources: Renewable energy sources or alternative/regenerative energies are those that are either available to man almost indefinitely or are renewed very quickly. These are, for example Bioenergy (combustion of degradable biofuels), geothermal energy (geothermal heat), hydropower, ocean energy, solar energy and wind energy.

Radio Frequency Identification = process for the automatic identification of objects via radio

RFID technology makes it possible to attach very small and inexpensive data transponders to objects and communicate with them wirelessly. Many wallboxes use RFID cards or RFID chips to allow only authorised persons to charge.

Cash Register Ordinance: The cash register and receipt reporting obligation for cash receipts has applied since 2016. Companies are obliged to use a cash register if their annual turnover exceeds €15,000 and their cash turnover exceeds €7,500. Exceptions are possible for certain types of business and turnover. Since 1 April 2017, cash registers must also have tamper protection.

Debit/credit cards from the Visa/ MasterCard/ Amex/ Diners/ JCB/ UPI/ card organisations

Fast charging points are DC charging points (see DC). They have a charging capacity from 22 kW.

Smart grids are energy grids equipped with intelligent measurement, regulation and control electronics. The physical components such as lines, transformers and generators have already been in use for many decades.

Separate pillar in which the payment terminal is installed

Stands for Trans-European Networks Transport; in English it is also called TEN-T (for transport). The aim is to achieve better networking in the EU’s internal market and a certain degree of standardisation of transport systems. In addition, the energy and telecommunications infrastructure is to be improved and the Galileo satellite navigation system developed.

A wallbox (or wall charging station) controls the charging process of an electric car at home. It can be conveniently installed on the wall (e.g. in the garage) or on a pillar. Wallboxes safely connect the power connection to an electric car.

The property of an application that is available both on the web and in the cloud and can also be used offline.

White label software is software that is sold to a reseller without a brand name. The reseller adds their own branding and then sells access to the platform as if they had developed it themselves. Customers have no way of knowing that this is not the case.

The ZVT (ZahlungsVerkehrsTerminal) protocol is a standard cash register interface for connecting the payment terminal to a cash register system or backend.