i-charging is proud to announce that its blueberry family’s chargers, including blueberry, blueberry PLUS, blueberry CLUSTER, and blueberry FUSION, are now officially CTEP certified.
But what does that mean, and why does it matter?
CTEP stands for California Type Evaluation Program, a certification administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Division of Measurement Standards. CTEP ensures that public EV chargers used for commercial transactions meet strict standards for:
- Measurement accuracy
- Transaction transparency
- Display requirements
- Data security
In short, CTEP certification guarantees that drivers are billed fairly and clearly for the energy they receive, without hidden costs. It’s not just for California, either: since the state often leads the way in EV policy and regulation, CTEP is becoming a standard across the U.S. for public EV charging infrastructure.
To earn this certification, chargers must:
- Deliver energy measured in kilowatt-hour (kWh), with 0.1 Wh resolution
- Display energy delivered, pricing per kWh, and total cost
- Show clear pricing before, during and after the session
- Make available a printed or digital receipt with full transaction details
- Use sealed measurement systems that cannot be tampered with
- Support data security and audit trails for inspection
How did we implement CTEP requirements at i-charging?
Bringing our chargers in line with these requirements meant a coordinated effort across hardware, software, and user interface design. Here are a few examples of CTEP requirements implementation on our chargers:
Hardware compliance and metering security
All blueberry chargers under certification passed a rigorous series of tests to confirm energy measurement accuracy across different power loads and operation points.
Tamper resistance was a key part of the evaluation. Our design includes a Category 1 electronic metering sensor that triggers a system fault in the event of tampering. The meter cannot be recalibrated or reconfigured once installed, ensuring metrological integrity.
Permanent and visible identification
Every certified charger includes a metal identification plate, securely affixed on the unit. This shows:
- Model name and power rating
- Maximum amperage
- Serial number of the charger
- And other information
This ensures all units are traceable and properly labelled according to California regulations.
User interface upgrades
The charger UI was adapted for public commercial use in the U.S., giving customers full transparency throughout the charging experience:
- Pricing displayed clearly before charging begins
- Energy delivered (in kWh), cost per kWh, total session cost
- Email receipt option with full transaction breakdown
- Activation options via RFID or payment card
All these changes were tested and reviewed as part of the CTEP evaluation.
Why is this a competitive advantage?
With this certification, i-charging enters an exclusive group of EV charger manufacturers officially cleared to operate in California and other regions of United States adopting similar regulatory standards.
Here’s what this milestone unlocks for us and our partners:
- Full market access in California and beyond : without CTEP certification, selling and operating public DC fast chargers in California is not permitted. Now, our blueberry family is fully cleared for deployment in the state.
- Enhanced trust and compliance: customers and site operators can be confident that i-charging hardware meets rigorous compliance standards. This ensures reduced legal and operational risk, and providing increased confidence and assurance for all stakeholders.
- Ready for the future: CTEP compliance will predict what’s coming next for the broader U.S. market. By certifying now, we’re preparing our charging solutions for the future.
What’s next?
With certification in hand, we’re ramping up our U.S. rollout with new deployments, partnerships, and integrations already in motion. Our CTEP-certified blueberry chargers are ready to power the EV transition across the U.S.
